Mixing Fire and Ice
by KardiaDegelShip
Summary: Kardia and Degel. Fire and Ice. Ignorance and Intelligence. They've been friends for so many years, they couldn't count them. Through many mishaps and misunderstandings, they finally find out that in their new lives in the 21st Century, nothing could break their concrete love. *WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC MAN ON MAN CONTENT*
1. Inner Thoughts

The sun was low on the horizon as another day in Sanctuary came to an end. The wind blew through the open window, making some of the papers flutter on the mahogany desk. Behind the desk, a young man sat in a leather-backed chair, enjoying the cool breeze as he tried to sort some of the folders on the crowded surface. However, there was something that was, for some unknown reason, bothering him to the point where he couldn't focus very well.

Degel, the Aquarius Gold Saint, couldn't get a certain brother-in-arms off his mind while alone in his library. This person was his best and most-trusted friend, and he has known him since early childhood. For some time now, Degel has heard rumors about him, stating that he liked him as more than a good friend. But Degel knew they weren't true; after all, he knew this man better than anyone.

This man was far different from Degel, mainly due to his lack of intelligence. He couldn't read very well and he didn't understand things like chemistry or advanced math. His hot temperament and stubborn attitude often got him into trouble, especially in Sanctuary, with his other fellow Gold Saints. His unnatural determination and love for fighting always played on his fragile heart, which usually lead to Degel always running to his friend's aid.

Today happened to be an exception. Degel was pulled from his thoughts as his stubborn, war-loving, blue-haired friend ran through the door, his long, wavy locks glued to his shirtless torso with sweat. He stopped abruptly, leaning on his knees and panting raggedly as he clutched his chest in pain.

"So, Scorpio Kardia," Degel mused, forcing down the angry scolding he was going to give his weak-hearted companion and going for a more caring approach, "yet again you ignore my advice to train lightly, and here you are, in pain. When are you going to start listening to me?" Degel walked over to the struggling Kardia, helped him sit in a chair near his desk, and placed a cold hand over his heart. Like every week-to-week treatment of Kardia's heart, Degel sent his cold cosmos into his comrade's flaring chest. In about two minutes, the Scorpio's heart was back to normal.

"C'mon, Degel," Kardia mocked, flashing his usual seductive smile. "You've known me for almost sixteen years, and you still think I'm gonna change? You got lots more learning to do, my friend." He shoved his hand into the deep pockets of his white, wide-legged capris and pulled out a juicy red apple. He placed the apple on the edge of Degel's desk and pulled out a second from the other pocket, taking a large bite out of it. Degel just rolled his violet eyes and took the apple, knowing that his friend's intentions were to make him look defeated.

"And besides," he continued, taking another bite and pushing it to the side of his mouth so his speech could be legible, "we're best friends, so no matter how mad you get at me, you'll always forget in two hours why you were ever mad at me." The Frenchman just walked back to his comfortable chair and sat down. He was never good at comebacks, especially when Kardia actually proved a good point.

"Moving on... I assume someone has told you by now?" Kardia said, his smile fading a little bit and a nervous look covered his face.

Degel cocked a split eyebrow in confusion. "Told me what? I've been told lots of things by lots of people, so you'll have to elaborate for me." Kardia hung his head, avoiding his friend's curious eyes, trying to hide his face. By now, everyone knew. How could Degel not know his secret?

"Well," he began uneasily, "you've heard the rumors about me being gay, right?" Seeing Degel nod, he continued. "Well, you may not believe this, but... they aren't rumors. I like guys." The Greek blushed a deep crimson as his friend's eyes widened. A long silence followed.

"I'm gonna go ahead and excuse myself, since you're probably disgusted by me," Kardia said, getting up slowly.

"No!" Degel stood as he almost yelled, slamming his hand on the desk and causing his sensitive friend to freeze where he stood, staring with his bright eyes. Surprising himself with his own action, he tried to calm himself before speaking again. "Kardia, what makes you think I would be disgusted by you? So what if you're gay; that's no reason for me to think of you any differently. I'm not just going to abandon our friendship because of that. You are who you are, and nobody should judge you for that." Kardia turned toward Degel, feeling tears of happiness begin to form in his crystal blue eyes. He ran to the other side of the table and crushed the Frenchman in a sweaty, you're-the-best-friend-in-the-whole-wide-world hug.

"Degel, this is totally unrelated to the situation, but can I ask you something?" Kardia asked sheepishly.

"Yes, Kardia?" Degel questioned, still embracing his overjoyed friend. The Scorpio smelled surprisingly good, like fresh-cut grass and apples.

"Can I call you 'Ice Cube'?" As odd as the question was, Degel blushed slightly; no one had ever tried to give him a nickname before. Even if somebody was just having a light conversation with him, they'd always worry about an accidental insult that would make him mad enough to freeze them. They still haven't realized that he had changed after their resurrection. Apparently, only Kardia understood that, and the fact that the Greek was considering something that most people would never even think about made Degel feel... warm inside.

"That's fine."

"Okay, just making sure... I think you're melting, Ice Cube." Degel blushed an even deeper red. _That must be what this warm feeling is,_ Degel thought. _I thought the barriers of ice around my emotions were strong, but they seem to be weaker with Kardia somehow. Why is he the only person that has ever made me feel truly happy and welcome in his presence?_

After a quick look out the window, Degel broke their embrace, and avoiding Kardia's earlier comment told him, "The sun is down, Kardia. I think you should return to the Scorpio Temple so that we can go for that early morning run I'd promised you last week." The Scorpio's face lit up instantly.

"You better not forget it," Kardia taunted, using his warrior face; a rapacious smirk and narrowed, 'I-can-see-your-every-move-before-you-even-realize-it-yourself' eyes. Before Degel could ask what time to meet him, he ran out the door, yelling, "See you tomorrow morning at six-thirty, Ice Cube!"

 _What am I ever going to do with him?_ thought Degel, shaking his head as he returned the last folders to their respectable drawers and placed the books back on the overly cramped shelves.

Since Kardia had left, Degel was left with his earlier thoughts. _Why is he the only person that has ever made me feel truly happy and welcome in his presence?_ Degel wondered again. _Even though El Cid and Sisyphus are 'in the friend-zone', as they say nowadays, I wouldn't consider them very close friends. Even if Kardia is a hot-tempered idiot sometimes, he isn't afraid to be himself and always has the right thing to say. He helps me in tough situations, and always stands up for me. Not to mention that even when we were kids, he was always helping me with my physical skills. Ugh, what does all of this mean?! Why do I have all these thoughts about him?! I can't believe how confusing all of this is! I can't be... no, there's no way that's the case! Ugh, whatever. I'm not gonna think about this any longer_.

As Degel finished putting on his pajama pants and brushing his teeth, he felt Kardia's warm cosmos enter his temple for the second time that day. He walked out his bedroom door just in time to see the pale, tear-stained face of the Scorpio Gold Saint sprinting over to him.

"What is it, Kardia?" asked the confused and concerned Aquarius.

"They destroyed it, Degel," Kardia said mournfully, sobs shaking his body. "There's nothing left; I have nowhere to go! They took her from me!"

"Who destroyed what, Kardia? What in Athena's name happened?"

"T-the...damn Specter!" the Scorpio raged, the needle on his right hand growing with his anger. "He destroyed my temple! I can't find Cleo! She's gone; I looked everywhere for her, but I couldn't find her! Imma kill that son of a whore, Degel! Imma kill em' all!" Degel grabbed Kardia's needle hand, which was now waving around in a disturbing manner. His heart hurt to see Kardia so sad, and he felt terrible for his loss of his home and his beloved Emperor Scorpion, Cleo.

Cleo was Kardia's pride and joy; he had gotten her after their resurrection, and she'd been with him ever since. When he wasn't with Degel or at the training grounds, he was with the beautiful black arachnid, letting her crawl on his arms and legs. Cleo was more than a pet to Kardia; she was his family.

"Did you see who it was?" the Aquarian asked.

"No... but I swear to Hades I'll show that motherfucker what happens when he messes with Scorpio Kardia! And if he killed Cleo... I'll kill him twice!"

Kardia yanked his hand away from Degel, clenching his fists and breathing heavily from his fury. He couldn't believe something so awful could have happened to his adorable pet. He leaned against the wall and sunk to the ground, laying his head in his hands as he began to cry harder. Degel wrapped a supportive arm around his grieving friend and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"You can stay in my temple if you want, Kardia," Degel offered. "As your friend, I'll always be here to help you." Kardia looked up at his green-haired companion. His face was streaked with tears, and his eyes were bloodshot. Degel had never seen the upbeat Scorpio in such a depressed state. However, he saw a slight sparkle surface in his eyes as he practically tackled Degel in a huge hug.

"Oh my Goddess, Degel!" Kardia exclaimed happily. "Thank you SO much! I don't know where I'd be without a friend like you!"

"That's great, Kardia," Degel said, his voice strained, "but could you please loosen your hold on me? I can't breathe..."

"Oh, sorry buddy," Kardia apologized, letting go of his dear friend.

"Yeah, whatever," Degel said with an exaggerated breath. "C'mon, I'll get you some PJ's." Degel led the Greek down a long hallway leading to the back of the temple, where his bedroom was located. He grabbed an extra set of pajama pants for Kardia and showed him to the guest bedroom. Kardia immediately flopped onto the bed, exhausted.

"By the way, Degel," Kardia said, an affectionate smile on his face, "you don't have to worry about me being messy or whatever. I'll pick up after myself."

"That would be helpful," the Frenchman agreed, grinning at his smiling, but clearly depressed, companion. "I'm gonna head to bed, alright? If you need anything, just come wake me up."

"Alright. Thanks for everything, Ice Cube," Kardia said, his deep blue eyes dull. "Good night."

"Good night," Degel replied, closing the door behind him. _There has to be more I can do for him,_ the Aquarian thought as he walked towards his room. _I wonder where that scorpion went; maybe I should help him look for her..._

Suddenly, the guest bedroom door burst open as Kardia ran towards Degel.

"Degel, Degel, you won't believe it!" Kardia exclaimed as he stopped next to the surprised Aquarius. Crawling on the Scorpio's hand, where she definitely hadn't been before, was Cleo.

"Where in the world was she, Kardia?" Degel asked, looking at the scorpion in bewilderment as his friend handed the beautiful creature to him.

"She must've crawled out of her terrarium today during my nap," the Greek explained. "Just now, I was laying on the bed, and I felt her crawling in my hair like she does at night. She probably thought it was bedtime and came to sleep with me." He grinned widely, all traces of sadness gone. Degel facepalmed; his friend could come up with the strangest possibilities.

"Oh, c'mon Degel," Kardia complained, knowing what his friend was thinking. "She's a sneaky little thing. And she really hates being alone, you know." Degel handed the arachnid back to her owner, who stroked her back lovingly.

"I'll grab a basin for you to keep her in until you can get a new terrarium," the Aquarian said, heading to the bathroom to grab an empty tub. He removed the cover and placed a hand towel at the bottom for the scorpion's comfort before taking it back to the Greek's room. The blue-haired man placed the arachnid inside her temporary home, setting it on the bedside table.

"Alright, I suppose you can sleep easier now that you know she's safe?" Degel said hopefully. "I need to get to bed soon so we can get up early for that run."

"Yep," the Scorpio replied, holding his hand in the air, waiting for his friend to give him a high-five. When Degel didn't do that, Kardia added, "Aw, don't leave me hangin', man." Degel chuckled a little and gave the Scorpio a high-five.

"Kaliníhta," Degel told Kardia in Greek.

"Bonne nuit," Replied Kardia, in French.

OoOoOoOoO

No matter how hard he tried, Degel couldn't sleep. But it wasn't due to the rain falling heavily on the roof; once again, Kardia was stuck in his thoughts. He couldn't help the pain that rose in his chest at the mere thought of his best friend losing his home to Specters, especially since Athena had signed a peace treaty with Hades.

Kardia was generally good-natured, even if he did lose his temper sometimes. He cares about everyone around him, even if they aren't close to him. He may not show it, but Degel knew that the Scorpio had a huge heart.

Kardia grew up in a small, crowded port town in the northern area of Greece. Money was hard to come by, especially when business was slow; if someone wanted something, they'd have to trade one of their most prized possessions to obtain it.

For Kardia, his most prized possession was his older brother, Fyodor. Fyodor had been a father figure to Kardia since the disappearance of their parents; the Scorpio was about five years old at the time, and Fyodor, ten. He kept the little boy out of trouble and taught him a few simple survival tactics. He made sure he was fed and bathed regularly, just as any other parent would do for his or her child.

The blue-haired Greek boy followed Fyodor everywhere: to the marketplace, to the beach, to meet up with his friends; anywhere someone could think of. Kardia loved his brother more than anything in the entire world; that is, until the Specters came and kidnapped him. They said he was "vital to Lord Hades' plan to take over the world". They left Kardia all alone in the village with no one to take care of him.

As far as Degel knew, that frightful day still haunts his dear friend in his nightmares. One night, he could feel a distress signal through Kardia's cosmos, sent from the Scorpio Temple; he ran down as fast as he could, a few other Gold Saints in pursuit. They got to Kardia's temple and woke him up, concerned about his frightened signal and terrified screaming. After he told them the dream about his childhood, they understood why he seemed to be in distress. And, after he was resurrected, he learned that his beloved brother was the Specter of Mandrake. It took him two months to get over that sickening feeling.

After another hour of tossing and turning, Degel couldn't take it anymore. He got up, walked out the bedroom door, and went to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. He looked at the stove; 12:37 AM. Had he really been up for over three hours thinking about Kardia?

Degel found himself questioning his feelings considering where the Scorpio fit in his life. He had a few really close friends, practically family, including Unity and Seraphina. But Kardia seemed to fit in a different category; not quite family, but definitely more than just a best friend. Degel realized he was asking himself a very important question...

 _Do I like Kardia?_ The Aquarian pondered this for a moment. He knew he liked him as a friend, but as far as a relationship... He felt it was entirely possible. After all, Kardia was very handsome; even "sexy" was a possible way to describe him in Degel's train of thought. The Scorpio was very kind to him, too, and he knew the Scorpio was very choosy on who he was friends with. His voice was a warm caress in the Frenchman's ears, even with the abrupt profanities scattered in every sentence he spoke. His natural odor of apples and grass made Degel feel calm when he was stressed. Just thinking about the Scorpio made the Frenchman's stomach flutter. Yes, there was no doubt in Degel's mind; he was in love with Scorpio Kardia.

A slight blush tainted the Aquarian's face. He thought he should go right away and tell him, but he needed to be absolutely positive of his decision. Mustering all of his willpower, the Frenchman crept down the hallway to Kardia's door. He cracked the door slowly, just in case the Greek was still asleep. There was Kardia, sitting up in bed, looking at Degel while the moonlight shone mystically on his face.

"I thought you were awake, Ice Cube," Kardia mused.

"I've been thinking a while," Degel confessed. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Sure, what is it?" asked Kardia as the Frenchman walked in and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Actually, I've been thinking a lot recently," Degel confessed, feeling his heart quicken as his nervousness grew, "about... someone dear to me, someone... I live for every day. I can't go a day without thinking about that person. So I guess, since this should probably be first, considering who that _someone_ is... And I know this may seem crazy to you... I'm also homosexual." Kardia looked at his green-haired companion for a moment, watching his face turn deep crimson. Then he smiled and squeezed Degel's arm, shaking him a little.

"It's hard to admit, isn't it?" Kardia asked when he noticed Degel's odd expression; a mixture of relief, embarrassment, sadness, and broken pride. "I felt the same way when I admitted to it, remember? There's no need for you to be embarrassed. Just think; we can have conversations about boys without it being awkward!" Degel chuckled at this, smiling a little.

"But... there's more to my situation," Degel replied hesitantly.

"What do you mean?" Kardia asked, completely puzzled.

"Well, that 'someone dear to me'? He's here," said Degel, a light blush covering his face. But Kardia looked perplexed; he was confused.

"What? I don't understand," said the Scorpio. "'Here', like, in Sanctuary?"

"Yes," replied Degel.

"Hmmm," Kardia was deep in thought, wondering who it was that Degel liked. "Where's he from?"

"Greece."

"Hmmm... First letter of the first name?"

"'K'." Degel was becoming very irritated with the Scorpio's inability to see the obvious.

"Hmmm... From Greece... starts with a 'k'... I got nothing. Tell me."

The Aquarian stood up and punched the wall with anger.

"Are you seriously so thick-headed, Kardia? You want to know? It's _you_! How couldn't you figure that out?! I fucking love you, you idiot!" he yelled, storming out of the room and ran out into the freezing downpour, forgetting about his naked torso. His eyes flooded with tears and the night's darkness enveloped him. His heavy footsteps echoed off of the concrete, his feet splashing in huge puddles.

Degel ended up at the harbor, where he took a left onto a narrow dirt path and ran to a place he knew well. It was a huge hill that overlooked the ocean and was unknown by almost everyone in Sanctuary.

The exhausted Aquarius allowed himself to collapse in the mud near the huge apple tree that was covered in small pink blossoms. The tree grew at the very top of the hill and was surrounded by a whole forest of identical trees, all in full bloom. He caught his breath and quickly climbed up the slick trunk into the densest patch of pink flowers, making himself nearly invisible to anyone who walked by. A thick branch held him aloft as he hid his red, tear-stained face in his knees, every inch of his body soaked and shaking. _I was wrong,_ he thought bitterly. _I thought he would realize my feelings, I thought he wasn't such a thick-minded person, but I was completely wrong! Why doesn't he understand my feelings for him, as obvious as I tried to make them? Why does love have to be so complicated?_

"Degel?! Where are you?!" Degel heard Kardia's desperate voice yelling over the patter of raindrops as he entered the grove of trees. "I didn't mean to upset you! I just didn't think you had the same feelings as I did! I've been in love with you for quite a few years, Degel; please come out and let me explain myself!" _What? He loves me?_ Degel stood up, about to climb down, but his leg slipped; his hands glanced off the slick bark and he fell, landing on his left side with a loud THUD! The air was punched out of his lungs, so all he could do was gasp in pain and try to force some air back in.

Kardia ran to the Aquarian's side, kneeling above him worriedly. "Are you alright, Ice Cube?!"

"Y-yeah... I think so," Degel lied in a weak tone, still stunned from the fall. But as he tried to get up, his shoulder and knee exploded with intense, stabbing pain. He grit his teeth and grabbed onto Kardia's rain-slicked shoulder, groaning.

"Take it easy," Kardia soothed, wrapping his arm around Degel's back and helping him sit up. "We should get you to the hospital-"

"NO!" Degel yelled. On the list of things he hated, hospitals were number-one. "You know damn well that I HATE the people there because they ask the most irrelevant and stupid questions; not only that, but it smells terrible! There is no friggin' way you're taking me there!"

"Then I'll patch you up in your temple," Kardia said, picking up his friend bridal-style and taking a shorter, but less-covered, way back to the Aquarius Temple.

"I'd rather be there anyway," Degel grumbled, reflexively leaning his head on Kardia's shoulder as the rain lightened to a cold drizzle.

Kardia blushed, holding the injured Aquarius tighter to keep him warm; he set a brisk walking pace, covering a lot of ground while keeping his dear friend as stable as possible.

The duo reached the Aquarius temple a few moments later, soaked and chilled to the bone. Kardia grabbed the medical supplies and some different salves from the medicine cabinet and carried Degel to his bedroom, where they dried off, changed into dry pajama pants, and brushed out their matted hair.

"You've got a bad scrape here," Kardia said, grabbing the peroxide and cleaning out the huge, bloody patch that covered Degel's entire shoulder. He wrapped bandages around Degel's chest and shoulder to cover the large wound and taped it in place. Then, Kardia did the same for the arm.

The Greek began to inspect Degel's knee, pressing lightly on the skin. The flesh around the bone was tender and swollen. As soon as his thumb made contact with the joint, Degel yelped.

"That's not where it's supposed to be," Kardia murmured. "I'll have to relocate it before stabilizing it. Hold still and don't worry; I've done this for quite a few other Saints."

"A-are you sure about this?" asked Degel. "Will it hurt a lot?"

"The first two seconds hurt, but it'll feel a lot better when it's back in place," the Scorpio said. "On the count of three: one... two... three!" With a quick and firm movement, the kneecap regained its place with a pop. Degel cried out from the sudden pain, but gasped with relief at feeling of the joint returning to normal.

Soon, Kardia began to wrap it tightly and carefully with an ACE wrap; the pain came back, and it showed on Degel's face. His eyes were shut tightly; one hand gripped the bedsheets while the other gripped Kardia's shoulder, digging his nails into the skin unconsciously.

" _Merde_!" Degel cursed in French, teeth grit and on the verge of yelling in agony.

"I'm almost done, Degel," Kardia assured him. "It'll be over soon, I promise." Degel nodded, though the stabbing sensation was almost unbearable. After securing the wrap with safety pins, the Greek grabbed a pillow and lifted his friend's leg gingerly, setting it down under the injured limb.

Degel flinched when Kardia placed a hand on each side of his face, making him look up at him. He brushed the hurting man's cheek gently with his thumb, calming the overwhelmed Aquarian.

"You believe me, don't you?" Kardia asked softly. "I really do love you, Degel. I've loved you since a few years before Bluegraad. I was just confused earlier because I was scared, scared that you had feelings for someone else." Degel moved Kardia's hands from his face and held them tight, tears falling down his pale-skinned face.

"No, I shouldn't have yelled," he told the Scorpio as he began to cry softly. "I was mad that you didn't realize my feelings, but... but I never showed them, so you wouldn't have known. I blamed you, but...it wasn't your fault." Kardia sighed heavily as he wrapped his strong arms around the shaking Frenchman.

"It's okay, Degel," the Greek assured, stroking Degel's long green hair.

"Wait... You loved me _before_ Bluegraad?"

"Yeah; that's why I told you to go after Pandora. I wanted you to live, Degel. I wanted to protect you from that bastard Rhadamanthys. Even though I couldn't do anything in the end... I wanted there to be a chance to save you."

All of the icy barriers around Degel seemed to melt away, replaced by an immense warmth. He leaned into Kardia, wrapping his arms around his neck. He wanted to stay there forever, in the warm arms of the Scorpio Saint.

"Thank you for trying to save me," the Aquarian murmured. "I don't care if I ended up dying; you lost your life trying to save mine, and that's more than anyone has ever done for me. But now that we can start our lives over... I think that I'd rather start it with you, with _us._ Could we do that?"

"I'd love to start my new life with you, Ice Cube," Kardia said with adoration. Degel smiled. "You have a beautiful smile; you should use it more often." Degel blushed, hiding his face in the crook of the blue-haired man's neck.

"So is this what dating is like?" Degel asked after a small silence between them, drying his eyes.

"Yeah," Kardia replied. "Why?"

"Well, if this is what dating is like... it means we're official, right?"

"Well, I thought that was what you implied when you said you wanted to start with 'us'."

"It is. I guess I'm just trying to take in all these new emotions."

"It's okay." Kardia's smile was broken by a deep yawn as he separated from Degel long enough to move to the other side of the bed. He wrapped his strong arms around his boyfriend, turning on the TV. Degel leaned on Kardia's broad chest as he surfed through the channels and decided on the movie "Forrest Gump".

The film was halfway over by the time Kardia realized that Degel had fallen asleep. He checked the time on his phone; two twenty-eight in the morning. He took a break from the movie to get himself a glass of apple juice. When he got back, he grabbed a fuzzy blue blanket and covered the sleeping Aquarius Saint, gathering him in his arms again. _How can such a beautiful creature as Degel hold my heart in such a tight grasp?_ Kardia thought to himself, smiling. _I've never had such strong feelings before what I feel for him. No matter what he does, he's always so perfect and adorable... I just want to hold him forever, even if I have to go against the Gods themselves to do so._ Eventually, Kardia fell asleep as well, his one-and-only true love resting fitfully in his arms.

OoOoOoOoO

Degel awoke with a migraine and bright sunlight in his eyes as dawn was beginning to fade. He squinted and buried his face into his partner's damp blue curls; he was not, on any terms, a morning person.

"Well, good morning, beautiful," Kardia said, running his hand through Degel's straight green hair.

"Mornin'," Degel mumbled sleepily, blushing at Kardia's complement. He yawned and lifted his head to look at his grinning companion. "What time is it?"

"A little past six," Kardia replied. Degel sat up and stretched his arms slowly, cringing at the ache in his shoulder and yawning widely.

"I suppose we should get ready for our run," he said, rubbing his eyes.

"We're not going anywhere," Kardia stated firmly. "Especially you; do you really think you could run with your knee in the shape it's in?" Degel leaned against Kardia, making the best puppy-dog eyes that he could. But the Scorpio saw through his disguise; the tiredness and fatigue in his body was present in the violet orbs.

"I'm sorry, Degel," Kardia said, hugging the disappointed Aquarian, "but I can't let you do that. You'll just hurt yourself more." Degel crossed his arms and stuck out his lower lip, pouting like a child that didn't get candy at the store.

"C'mon, don't be like that," Kardia said, smiling at Degel's childish behavior and rubbing his beloved's back affectionately. The Frenchman sighed contentedly, relishing the new feeling.

"Do you feel okay?" Kardia asked as he continued to run his fingers over Degel's smooth, pale skin, feeling a slight tremor in the Frenchman's body. "Your back feels really warm."

"I _do_ have a headache," Degel said, wrapping the fuzzy blanket around his shoulders. "And I feel cold. And that's weird, because I'm friggin' Mister Ice Machine, and I'm never cold." Kardia chuckled and felt Degel's forehead and flushed cheeks, feeling an unusual warmth in them, too.

"You have a fever," Kardia confirmed, pulling out the thermometer from the first-aid kit. He stuck the end into Degel's mouth, making sure it was under his tongue. After about a minute, he took it back out and checked the temperature.

"Holy shit! You're definitely not going anywhere today, Degel," he stated strictly. "104.2 degrees is _crazy_." Degel began coughing violently, his face turning red as he tried to suck in some air between coughs. Kardia was right beside him, though there wasn't much he could do. After the long coughing fit, Degel groaned and laid back against the Greek. His face grew hotter as his body shook with tremors that would make any earthquake jealous. Kardia helped his injured partner get under the covers and laid a few more blankets across his body.

"Kardia?" Degel asked weakly.

"Yeah?" Kardia replied, stroking Degel's warm cheek gently.

"Can you stay with me?" came the muffled answer from the Aquarian as he pulled the covers up to his nose and shrunk into a little ball.

"Of course. I'm not in any hurry to leave," Kardia replied, sliding under the covers to hold his sick boyfriend. Degel immediately grabbed onto Kardia, who wrapped his arms around Degel's back. He held him close, sending his warm cosmos into the Aquarian's cold body. _How did he get so sick in one night?_ Kardia wondered. _It's worse than that time when we were kids, when he fell through the ice on the pond and got pneumonia. Maybe that's what he caught... We did spend a while out in the rain, after all..._

OoOoOoOoO

By the time Degel woke up, it was half past noon. He suddenly realized that Kardia wasn't with him. _Where did he go?_ Degel asked himself, worried that he had gone to the training grounds and provoked the disease in his heart.

"Kardia?" Degel tried calling the Scorpio, though his voice came out low and raspy due to the dryness in his throat. The blue-haired man walked in just as Degel entered another bout of violent coughing, holding a lidded blue mug, little white tablets, and a glass of water.

"Asmita brought up some Aspirin to help with your pain and fever," Kardia told the Frenchman after the second coughing fit, handing him the water and the medicine. "I made you some chicken broth, too. I went out today after you fell asleep and started rebuilding my temple; I left you a note, but by the time I came back to check on you, you were still asleep. It's almost finished, thanks to some of the other Saints." He climbed onto the bed, still holding the blue mug. After Degel had swallowed the Aspirin and finished off the glass of water, Kardia took the glass, handed Degel the mug, set the glass on the side table, and cuddled with his Frenchman. Degel sipped the broth tentatively as they watched TV.

Suddenly, Degel felt a strong, mischievous cosmos enter his temple. Kardia stood up reluctantly and went to greet the Cancer Gold Saint, Manigoldo.

"I want details," Manigoldo said before Kardia could utter a single word. "I want to know when, where, and how you two got together. Don't skip anything."

"How the hell do you know?" Kardia asked in bewilderment. "We haven't even told anyone yet."

"C'mon, you wouldn't just stay the night here for no good reason. I mean, I know your temple was destroyed and all, but you could've came to my templ-" Manigoldo was cut short by the little black creature that suddenly appeared on his friend's shoulder. "What the hell is _that_?!"

" _That_ just so happens to be a _she_ , thank you very much," the blue-haired man corrected, grabbing the black arachnid from his shoulder so that she could walk on his arm. "Cleo is an Emperor Scorpion, I'll have you know. Don't tell me you've never seen a scorpion before?" Cleo walked up and down the length of his arm, proudly showing off her sharp stinger. Manigoldo cringed at the thought of the odd creature crawling all over him, not to mention that the arachnid was half as long as Kardia's forearm without the tail included.

"I have, I just don't like them," Manigoldo stated matter-of-factly. "They're disgusting."

"I'd take that back, if I were you, Cancer Manigoldo," warned a weak, scratchy voice. Using crutches, Degel made his way towards the door. "Kardia can be pretty aggressive when people making rude comments about his pet." To emphasize, Kardia's red nail grew out of his finger. The Cancer backed up a few steps, seeing the murderous look in the Aquarian's eyes, making sure to keep a safe distance between him and the cold Saint.

"Well, I, uh, gotta go see the Pope," said Manigoldo, turning and running towards the door just in time to avoid a Scarlet Needle in the arse. Kardia lowered his hand and looked down angrily at the barely-standing Aquarius Saint.

"Degel, you shouldn't be getting up like that," the Scorpio scolded, picking up his fevered angel and taking him back to bed. "You need to stay in bed and get healthy."

"But I'm bored," Degel whined helplessly. "There's nothing to do besides sleep and watch TV, and that's boring." He couldn't hold the huge yawn that decided to make his true feelings known; he was still really tired and was thinking about taking a long nap, preferably in the Greek's arms.

"Well, it seems like you could use more sleep," Kardia said after Degel's yawn. "I'm getting tired, too; let's go lay down." After Degel gave him an I-don't-believe-you look, Kardia added, "Actually, I just want you to get some sleep so that you can get better. That way, we can go on dates and take long walks through the Sanctuary and make everyone jealous." Degel blushed, making the Scorpio flash his sadistic grin that the Aquarian loved.

As soon as Degel climbed under all of the blankets, he scooted over so that he was sitting on Kardia's lap, leaning his head on the Greek's shoulder. The blue-haired man set Cleo in her new terrarium before he wrapped his muscular arms around the Frenchman's slender waist, sending more of his warm cosmos into Degel's cold body. Shortly after, both of the Saints fell into the beckoning embrace of Morpheus.

OoOoOoOoO

The wonderful smell of vegetable soup invaded Degel's nostrils, awakening him as Kardia's hand stroked his hair. He opened his tired eyes to see the blue-haired Greek standing over him, holding a small bowl in his free hand.

"Sorry for waking you up," the Scorpio apologized as the Frenchman sat up gingerly, handing him the bowl. "I was just thinking that you didn't really eat anything today, so I made some soup for you. And we should probably check on that shoulder of yours."

"That's okay; I've been sleeping all day anyway, so I should probably get up and do something," Degel replied, taking a small spoonful from the half-full soup bowl into his mouth as the Greek unwound the dirty bandages around the Frenchman's shoulder. "Where did you learn how to make such good soup? It's tastes like the stuff my father used to make for me as a child."

"My master taught me," Kardia explained, examining the reddish wounds. "Your shoulder looks really good; I'd keep it open to the air to let it scab over, though. It shouldn't take too long."

"Okay." Feeling light-headed, Degel laid back against the mountain of pillows, covering himself with a thick quilt. The blue-haired Scorpio smiled, reaching his hand over to his sick partner to rub his cheek. The Aquarian closed his eyes, enjoying the sweet caresses of the usually hot-tempered man beside him.

"You're so pretty and lovable," Kardia murmured, laying down next to his green-haired angel.

"Thanks," Degel replied, blushing deeply, trying to find more words. "You're... let's see, what describes you? How about handsome... caring... and, oh, what's the word? I think it was... alluring? Oh Goddess, that's an awkward thing to say." The Aquarian hid his crimson face in the nearest pillow. To his surprise, Kardia just laughed and gently slid him into his warm, muscular arms, placing a gentle kiss in Degel's green hair.

"You make me really happy, Degel. Happier than I've been in a long time." The Scorpio gave his green-haired angel a gentle squeeze. Degel shifted so that he was sitting in Kardia's lap, facing the blue-eyed Greek.

"You make me happy, too, _mon cher_ ," the Aquarian replied.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hello everyone! If you're wondering why some of this story seems different or other things are added in, that's becuase I went through and edited a lot of it ;). It may seem like a different story, but I hope you enjoy it just as much I did writing it! But beware: if you do not like sexual interactions between men, I would strongly suggest you stay away! There will be graphic yaoi content in later chapters, so be prepaired!

Oh, and if I'm translating any of the French or Greek wrong, don't be afraid to tell me. I'd hate for it to be something offensive to people who speak that language.

KDS out, peeps!


	2. Love Previals

Two months later...

"Kardia, I'm gonna hit you with my crutch if you don't knock it off!" The two young men were sitting on the front porch of the Aquarius Temple. Degel, who was trying to read, was still on crutches because he had taken some nasty falls that kept dislocating his knee. His mind was set on reading, but Kardia, covered by his training armor, was deciding to be a 'royal pain in the ass'.

"What's wrong with what I'm doing, darling?" the Scorpio asked innocently, sucking on the green popsicle in his hand.

"It's distracting me!" Degel snapped. "I can't read with that awful noise in my ear."

"Does the noise make you think things?" The Scorpio chuckled as his boyfriend tried to keep a blush from creeping onto his face.

"It does make me think that I want to smack you." Degel closed his book with a long sigh. "Too bad I'm too nice." Kardia smiled triumphantly as his green-haired angel took off his glasses and stood up, taking in the beautiful curves of his slender body.

"You're ogling me again, Kardia," teased Degel, pulling his blue-eyed beauty from his trance.

"I know, darling, but I can't help it," Kardia whined. "Everything about you is so beautiful." The Aquarian limped over to Kardia and sat in his lap, kissing him on the cheek before taking a lick of the frozen treat.

"I'm bored," Degel stated blandly.

"Wanna go down to the training grounds?" asked Kardia. "I have to make sure Yato isn't slacking off, since I haven't been down there very often these past few weeks."

"Ha! Good one, Kardia," Degel joked. "You'd be joining a fight as soon as we enter the arena!" The Scorpio felt offended, putting on his best pouty face. That look always melted the cold Saint's heart. After seeing that look, Degel stood up with a sighed and said, "Fine, we can go. Just don't expect me not to freeze the first person that picks on us."

"Thanks, Ice Cube!" Kardia said cheerfully. Degel grabbed one of his crutches and hopped down the short flight of stairs to where Kardia now waited for him. The Scorpio grabbed Degel's hand and they walked down through the temples.

Most of the temples were empty due to the fact that their owners were out training. However, as they neared the entrance to Gemini, Degel breathing heavily from all of the stairs, Kardia noticed that the Gemini Saint, Aspros, was waiting for them.

"Hey there!" greeted Aspros with a cheeky grin on his face, his deep voice rebounding on the temple's walls. "What happened to you two all of a sudden? You left me all alone to oversee the training of these weakling maggots, you bastard Scorpion!" He grabbed Kardia in a headlock and rubbed the top of his head a few times, messing up the blue mane.

"Nice to see you too, Ass," replied the Scorpio playfully.

"So it is true," the Gemini mused after releasing his captive. "Goldie said that you and Ice Boy got a 'thing' goin' on."

"Yep," Kardia sneered. "He only talks because he's jealous." He wrapped his arm around Degel protectively, and the Aquarius did the same.

"I don't blame him, though," Aspros admitted. "With a face like his, it must be pretty hard to find anyone that would want him." The two blue-haired men laughed, and Degel chuckled a little. "Anyhow, I suppose I should let you guys get on your way. There's only about three or four hours left of the day, and I have to go get Def because he decided to visit his beloved Kanon Island again. And you know how much he loves his volcanoes; once he's there, it's hard to get him back home."

"It was nice talking to you, Aspros," Degel said, shaking the Gemini's hand. "And tell Defteros I said 'hi'."

"Don't worry, I will. Take care, Degel. And Kardia: if he ain't ready for it, control yourself; don't rape him." The Gemini laughed loudly, the echo spreading around the temple.

"You fucking pervert!" Kardia yelled after the Gemini as he jumped into Another Dimension. Degel shook his head, his face pale.

"I'd never do that to you, Degel," the Scorpio promised, looking at the Aquarian lovingly. That's when he saw the Frenchman's exhausted look. "Do you want to rest for a while? You look worn out."

"No, that's alright," Degel replied. "Let's keep going." Kardia nodded and the two Saints continued on their way.

Passing Aries Temple, Kardia noticed that Degel's breathing had gotten more and more rapid. The Aquarian's face was slick with sweat, and his violet eyes looked hazy.

"I think we should rest, darling," Kardia stated. "You're exhausted."

"I'm fine," insisted Degel, wheezing. Ignoring Degel's claim, Kardia picked him up and walked over to a small cluster of boulders.

"Maybe we should've waited another day or so," the Scorpio said, setting the Aquarian on one of the rocks. "You could black out at this rate. I wasn't even thinking; I should've grabbed a damn water bottle." Degel leaned against his crutch, slowly taking deep breaths. Kardia ran his hand through the Frenchman's long, sweaty hair.

"I'll carry you the rest of the way, if you want," the Scorpio offered.

"I don't care; my give-a-damn's busted," Degel replied breathlessly. Kardia picked up the Aquarian and continued walking to the training grounds. In a few short minutes, Degel had fallen asleep.

The Scorpio could see a small group of boys as he descended the last flight of stairs. Yato, his student from a few years ago, just so happened to be in the middle of it, teaching the new recruits how to destroy rocks with their cosmos.

"So you have been making yourself useful, Yato," Kardia teased, surprising the black-haired teen.

"Oh, Master Kardia! It's nice to see you again!" the Unicorn Bronze Saint replied, soon noticing the green-haired man in his teacher's arms. "How is Aquarius doing?"

"Exhausted and in pain, but still a fighter," replied Kardia, a smirk appearing on his face as he thought of a 'fun' idea. "What do you say we get some sparring in? For the kids' reference."

"You totally just want to kick my butt," Yato guessed, getting into his battle stance. The blue-haired man flashed a knowing smile, laying Degel on a nearby bench before standing confidently.

"Ready?" asked Kardia.

"Hell yeah!" Yato replied enthusiastically.

"That's my good little pony," Kardia said, lunging. Yato swung his arm up just as the Scorpio closed in, but was surprised when his master seemed to disappear. He turned sharply, catching the surface of Kardia's cheek as the Scorpio ducked, planning on using his leg to swipe his student's out from under him. Yato outsmarted him by jumping and flipping over his master, landing behind him and missed a blow to his back. There was a blue flash, then all was still. The Unicorn Saint looked around, trying to pinpoint Kardia's location to no avail.

"Too slow, little boy," Kardia mocked in Yato's ear, swiping his feet from under him and smashing the Unicorn's face into the ground. The Japanese teen groaned, struggling to a sitting position with a small smile on his face.

"Still the lethal scorpion I remember," Yato laughed as he spat blood out of his mouth.

Kardia laughed. "And you're a lot better than when you first gained that cloth. I'm proud of your improvements. But you've still got a lot to learn; that wasn't even half my power." He held his hand out to the black-haired teen and helped him stand.

"What did I tell you, Kardia?" the mocking voice of Degel questioned, a triumphant smile adorning his features.

"Well, good morning, Sunshine." Kardia smiled sweetly. "Did you have a good nap?"

"Don't you play innocent with me, Scorpio," Degel chided. "Every time we're down here, you always pick a fight with someone."

"'Sunshine'? Is that some sort of inside joke?" asked Yato, confused.

"Oh, I never told you, did I, agóri mou?" Kardia said, wrapping an arm around Degel's waist. "Me and this beautiful angel are dating now." The Unicorn stood in shock for a while, not really sure what to think. Even though he was straight, he didn't think that people were wrong to be gay. And he loved his master as if he were his father, but it seemed odd that he would choose the supposedly emotionless, cold Aquarius Saint over someone more like himself.

"Really?" he finally managed.

"Is there a problem here, Unicorn?" asked Degel, getting a little defensive.

"No, there's not a problem," Yato assured. "I'm really happy for you guys, don't get me wrong. It's just, on my perspective, I would've guessed that Master would end up with someone with... 'similar characteristics', you know? Like, he uses heat-based attacks and tends to show what he's feeling, where you have ice-based attacks and don't really show much emotion."

"I guess that's fair," Degel agreed. "I'm working on changing my 'cold' appearance, but I still believe that there is a time and a place to show certain emotions."

"I totally agree," the black-haired teenager said. "You really are wise beyond your years, as people have told me. If the time permits, I'd like to learn a little more about you, but I have to get back to the boys' training. Athena knows what the Pope would say if he saw I was slacking."

"Nice to see you again, shrimp," Kardia said, messing up Yato's hair.

"Nice to see you, too, Master," the Unicorn replied, shaking his hand.

"Bye, Mr. Scorpio! Bye, Mr. Aquarius!" yelled a young, black-haired boy. The two Saints laughed and said goodbye to the smiling children as they walked back to the Aquarius Temple, hand in hand.

Degel was completely content at this late hour. He was reading on the couch, Kardia's head in his lap as he dozed on his back. His hand and the Scorpio's were intertwined over his partner's tan chest, rising and falling with the Greek's breaths.

Suddenly realizing that it might be later than he anticipated, he looked at the wooden clock on the wall. Eleven thirty-four; almost midnight, and they still hadn't eaten dinner.

"Kardia," Degel said quietly, rousing the sleeping Greek by lightly shaking his shoulder.

"Mph... What is it, babe? Wanna sleep," came the Scorpio's mumbled reply, snuggling deeper into the Aquarian's thigh.

"We should eat before we go to bed," Degel insisted. "Just something simple."

Kardia sighed heavily and sat up with a groan. "You got sandwich stuff?"

"Yeah. There's ham, lettuce, and cheese in the fridge. Bread's in the pantry." The Scorpio stood, stretched, and walked to the kitchen to make himself and Degel a sandwich. The Aquarian went back to reading one of his favorite books; The Iliad, written by Homer. He was always fascinated by all of the stories, especially the one that holds the history of his guardian constellation, Aquarius: about a young boy named Ganymede who was captured by Zeus because of his beauty and became the Gods' cupbearer.

"Here you go, darling," Kardia interrupted, setting Degel's plate in his lap. They sat in silence for a while as both Saints ate their sandwiches. When they had finished, Kardia took their empty plates to the kitchen.

"Are you cold, Kardia?" asked Degel as the blue-haired man sat next to him. He could see the goosebumps spreading across the Scorpio's arms.

"A little," Kardia admitted. "Your temple always feels colder than the others."

"C'mon," the Aquarius said as he stood up and limped over to the bear-skin rug in front of the roaring fireplace. The Scorpio followed him obediently, grabbing a few blankets and pillows from the couch and chairs. After making a sort of "nest" over the rug, he helped Degel sit. He laid down over the strategically-arranged pillows, bringing the green-haired man down with him.

"Is this better?" asked Degel, taking off his glasses and setting them on the rug. The light from the flames danced across the Aquarian's face.

"Yes," Kardia replied happily, wrapping his muscular arms around Degel's torso. The minty smell of his shampoo tingled the Scorpio's nose. The Aquarian turned on his side and laid his head on Kardia's chest, running his hand over his boyfriend's rock-hard abs languidly.

"Degel?" asked Kardia shyly.

"Yes?" the Aquarian questioned, turning onto his stomach so that he could look at the Scorpio.

"I've been thinking a lot these past few days, and I think now is the time to ask. Can we, um... can we kiss? I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to, but-"

Degel held a finger over Kardia's lips, his face tinged pink. "Actually, that sounds nice." The Scorpio's eyes widened. He never thought that Degel would consent to that within the short time they've been dating.

Kardia sat up, Degel sitting in his lap. He put his hand behind Degel's head, playing with the green strands of hair as their faces came closer together. The Aquarian wrapped his arms around the blue-haired man's neck, his heartbeat drumming loudly in his ears. Their faces were about an inch apart when Kardia moved his hand to stroke Degel's blushed cheek lightly. There was a slight hesitation from the Scorpio when their lips were just millimeters apart; he tried to calm his heavily-beating heart, thumping strongly against his chest in anticipation. Kardia had no doubts when his lips finally descended on Degel's, creating their first shy, feathery kiss.

The Aquarian's breathing hitched when Kardia's lips touched his for the first time. The Scorpio's lips were warm and smooth; Degel could smell the sweet, tangy scent of apples that seemed to surround the Greek all the time. Not wanting their pleasurable kiss to end, he held Kardia's head and pulled him closer.

Kardia was beginning to lose himself in their wonderful kiss. His thoughts grew fuzzy, wanting something a little more than just a simple lip-press. He pulled back a little, lightly sucking on Degel's lower lip, feeling the Frenchman do the same.

After getting bored of that, Kardia linked their lips again, slowly tracing the outline of Degel's with his tongue. The Aquarian opened his mouth slightly; Kardia gently broke his tongue through the small opening, tasting the minty freshness of the Frenchman. Degel surrendered to this even more passionate kiss, moaning lightly at the pleasurable, apple-flavored taste of Kardia. The Greek moved his tongue over every inch of Degel's mouth, also not wanting this lustful kiss to end.

However, the need for air drew them apart. They pulled away slowly, ending the deep kiss with a gentle one, breathing spasmodically. Kardia looked at Degel's beautiful face: crimson cheeks, slightly-parted lips, and eyes that were shining with happiness. The Scorpio gently pulled Degel into his warm embrace, planting a chaste kiss on his partner's forehead.

"I love you, Degel," Kardia said affectionately. The Aquarian's face grew warmer as Kardia held him closer.

"I love you, too, Kardia," Degel whispered, wrapping his arms around the blue-haired man's neck. The two young men laid down next to the roaring fireplace and fell asleep, still feeling a great surge of happiness.

Kardia awoke to an amazing smell wafting from the kitchen. He stayed on the rug a while longer, though, the warmth from the hearth pinning him down. Not only that, but he wasn't feeling like his normal, spunky self. His head throbbed painfully and his entire body felt like it was being bathed in flames; he wasn't in pain, like his heart sickness, but the heat seemed just as great.

"Oh, you're awake, mon cher," the Aquarian said as he walked into the living room, surprised. "My knee didn't hurt very bad this morning, so I got up and made some apple muffins." Degel sat down next to Kardia, who had a hardly-noticeable grin.

That's when he noticed the blue-haired man's flushed face. The Scorpio's eyes were shining with fever. "Are you okay, darling? You don't look so good." He placed his hand on Kardia's cheek and felt an immense warmth. The Scorpio sighed contentedly, feeling the nice cool hand on his hot skin.

"Oh, Kardia," Degel gasped. "Your face is burning."

"Your hand feels nice," the blue-haired man rasped, snuggling deeper into the large nest of blankets and pillows. A sudden bout of rough coughing seized Kardia's wary body, every hack sounding like it was tearing apart his trachea. Degel rubbed his back affectionately, trying to soothe the sick Greek.

"C'mon, Kardia," the Aquarian said, standing. "You need to rest for a while." The Scorpio followed Degel to the bedroom and laid down on the warm surface as the green-haired man spread more blankets over him.

"Have you ever had the flu, Kardia?" Degel asked.

"I don't think so," replied the blue-haired man in a mumbly tone.

"That explains everything," said the Aquarian, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Since you've never had the flu, the symptoms are a lot stronger. It would be best for you to stay in bed for the next week or so, to help yourself heal. If you think the symptoms are bad now, I'm warning you that they only get worse in the first two to three days."

"Are you frickin' serious? I hate being pent up. Stupid fucking flu." Degel smiled seeing Kardia all bundled up like a cocoon, especially with his adorable pouty face. He sat next to the Scorpio and laid the blue-haired man's head on his shoulder.

"You'll be okay," the Aquarian assured, stroking his hair. "If you listen to me and do what I tell you to for the next week, I'll have a surprise for you. Deal?" Kardia perked up a bit at the mention of Degel's 'surprise'. No one had ever surprised him, besides the times when his friends used to jump out at him from behind pillars and bushes.

"Deal," he said, gingerly laying down in the mountain of pillows. Degel smiled and kissed him on the forehead delicately.

"I'll go get you some muffins, okay?" said the Aquarian.

"And some apple juice? Pleeeeeease?" asked Kardia.

"Sure. I'll be right back." Degel stood up to leave the room.

Not even a Gold Saint with the highest senses could detect what happened next. A cloaked figure smashed through the window, sending shards everywhere. Kardia had no room to react as the figure grabbed Degel and clamped a white cloth over his mouth and nose. Suddenly, just as Kardia was getting ready to strike, another figure grabbed him from behind and knocked him unconscious with the same type of rag. Degel's lungs were burning, but he knew he couldn't take a breath of the drugged cloth. Eventually, he fell unconscious due to lack of oxygen.

It was midafternoon when Kardia finally came to. He was up and moving in a blur as he recalled his current situation, fumbling with his armor as he tried to put it on with shaky fingers. His head was racing. He didn't even finish putting on the last shoulder plate of his magnificent Scorpio Cloth when he felt two strange, dark cosmos, and sprinted out the door. There was another, more faint, a cosmos that Kardia knew by heart; it was his beloved Degel, sending a distress signal through his cosmic energy.

Moving at light speed, Kardia followed the weak cosmos to a run-down tavern in the middle of a nearby forest. The dark cosmos seemed to cover the whole building in a shroud of malice. The Scorpio shredded the door with his Scarlet Needle. He walked into the dimly lit room and stood for a few seconds and listened on high alert. It was a good thing, too, because he heard a muffled sound, a muffled scream more like, that no one would have heard without Kardia's predatory senses. The blue-haired man ran into the room where he heard the sound, but when he emerged in the candle-lit room, he almost screamed in terror and disbelief.

There was his beautiful, green-haired angel, his Degel; gagged, hair pinned up, wearing only his pants, and covered in bruises and cuts. His hands were cuffed and connected by a chain to the ceiling. There wasn't enough chain to allow him to sit down, and he had no energy to stand, so he was (quite literally) hanging by the chain as the metal cut into his wrists. Degel had dry tears on his cheeks, and the Scorpio could see the violet eyes flood again with both pain and relief.

Kardia was utterly shocked; what had his beautiful angel done to deserve such harsh and unjust treatment? He ran to Degel, trying his best not to cry as he clumsily untied the knot in the gag. The Aquarian took in sharp, strangled breaths. Kardia burst the chains and manacles with his Scarlet Needle and caught Degel as he almost hit the ground, hearing the heartbreaking screams of agony from the Aquarian's immense pain.

"How- did you- find me?" the Aquarian choked out through strangled gasping after calming himself a little.

"I felt your distress signal," Kardia explained. "I followed it here. Those sons of bitches are gonna pay, dammit!" He whipped off his cape and draped it around Degel's shivering shoulders. The Aquarian clung to him desperately, his knuckles turning white.

Out of nowhere, two figures dropped into the room, surrounding the couple. Kardia equipped his Needle, ready to protect his beloved at all costs.

"My my, what do we have here?" came a warm, sing-song voice. "I thought I'd get some more time to 'play' with this little doll." Kardia felt Degel shiver in his arms and give a quiet whimper. This must be one of the guys that hurt my Degel, Kardia thought.

The figure to the left of Kardia threw off his cape, revealing the shiny dark armor underneath. Shabby gray hair hung down to the man's waist. Kardia made a hissing sound of displeasure as he recognized one of the three Judges of the Underworld: Griffon Minos.

"You," Kardia growled in disgust, clenching his teeth. "You have some nerve to even lay a finger on Degel, you bastard. And you know what? I'm gonna make you pay the price."

That made the Specter of Hades laugh.

"And what exactly can you do about it now, Scorpio?" Minos teased. "You're nothing more than a puppet in my hands. COSMIC MARIONATION!" Kardia let go of Degel just as the puppet strings wrapped around his limbs. As the strings continued to bend his limbs to Minos' will, the Scorpio moaned in an excited way. His eyes widened, the pupils becoming smaller as he flashed a rapacious smile. Kardia had reached Wild Psychotic Warrior mode.

"I've never felt pain like this before, Minos," the crazed Kardia said, "I love this pain; it gives me a sense of humanity. And right now, I could just rip your sorry ass into teeny, tiny pieces!" With a malicious cackle, he swept his right arm in front of him, severing the cosmic strings of the Griffon.

"But how?!" Minos yelled in fury. "How did you escape?!" He looked at his shortened threads and noticed a strange glint on the ones that had restrained the Scorpio's arm. He picked one up and felt that it was cold to the touch.

"You're not-taking him-Minos. And you'll never-take me-either." The Griffon looked towards the strangled sound, seeing the severely-injured Aquarius Saint. Degel's arm was thrust out towards him, his chest heaving in rapid sobs. His whole body was emerged in a white mist that expelled icy air.

While the Griffon was distracted, Kardia took aim and hit Minos straight away with fourteen deadly strikes of his Scarlet Needle. Minos doubled over and screamed in pure agony.

"I usually give people two choices: surrender, or die. But you've crossed the line; I ain't even gonna give you a choice," the Scorpio said, positioning his final strike. "SCARLET NEEDLE ANTARES!" The body of Minos convulsed, then turned into sickly black smoke. He turned to the other Specter, who happened to be a foot soldier, and killed him, too.

"Are you alright, Degel?" Kardia asked as he walked over to his crying Aquarius and gently lifted him off the ground. Degel hugged Kardia desperately, burying his face into the crook of the blue-haired man's neck. The Scorpio gently swept his thumb across Degel's cheek, trying to sooth him. He avoided the Aquarian's back, where deep gashes were carved into the smooth skin.

"Yeah," Degel replied shakily. "Good thing is-he didn't-rape me. Was gonna-until you-showed up."

"Oh, thank the Gods I woke up when I did," Kardia whispered. "But he made a lot of damage as is... We need to clean you up and get you in bed. It's all over now, okay? He won't get you anymore. I've got you." Degel nodded, his breathing slowing down and losing its rough edge. He was glad to finally be able to leave this dreadful place and go home.

"Think about warm 'jammies and fluffy pillows and bubbles in the bathtub. 'Cause that's what you're gettin' when we get home." Degel smiled.

"Do you want a piggy-back ride? It's going to be kind of a long walk, and I don't want you to get more hurt than you already are."

"Sure." Kardia bent his knees a little, and Degel wrapped his arms around the Scorpio's neck before jumping and wrapping his legs around Kardia's waist, his boyfriend's arms hooked under his knees. The Greek began a brisk walked from the tavern, anxious to be away from that awful place.

The walk back to the Aquarius Temple seemed like hours for its inhabitant. Degel could only focus on the pain throughout his body. Out of all the things he'd been through, this was no doubt on his list of "Most-Painful Circumstances".

A few Gold Saints stood outside the Aquarius Temple as Kardia and Degel reached it; Aspros, Defteros, and Albafica.

"What happened, guys?" Aspros asked, concerned about the Aquarian's current state.

"I felt you heading for Degel, so I came and waited, just to make sure you guys were okay," Defteros commented.

"A motherfuckin' Specter happened," Kardia said bitterly, helping Degel slide to his feet gingerly. "Griffon Minos kidnapped Degel and chained him up and beat him to a pulp."

"How'd he manage to chain you?" Albafica questioned the Aquarian. "That doesn't seem possible, even in the shape that your knee was in."

"He stormed my temple with one of his minions," Degel said with strain. "They knocked Kardia out with this drugged rag, and I tried to hold my breath, but I ended up passing out."

"You're in quite a bit of pain," the Pisces noted. "May I see the wounds? I should have some herbs that might help." Degel swept his now-loose hair over his shoulder before removing the blood-soaked cloak with a sharp hiss. All eyes fell upon the deep lacerations; seven in total, with most being around eight inches long, although a few spanned the entire breadth of his back. It was almost too hard to see the wounds because of all the blood, not to mention the plethora of bruises everywhere. Albafica studied them carefully for a short time.

"It may take a little bit of time to make, but I can make a salve with some of my plants," the Pisces confirmed. "I'd say about an hour at the most to prepare it."

"You don't think he'll need stitches?" Aspros asked, flabbergasted. "Those gashes are awfully deep."

"Positive," Albafica stated. "The salve should close up the wound a lot faster that stitches. Combined with an ice pack, it'll reduce a lot of the swelling, too, although it may sting a little when it's applied."

"Thank you, Albafica," Degel said.

"It's not a problem. I'm happy to help. I'll be back somewhere within the next hour to deliver the salve."

"Alright." The Pisces turned and left swiftly.

"We better get going, too," Defteros said, turning to his older twin. "Those trainees can't oversee themselves."

"Yeah, you're right," Aspros replied. "We'll see you around, guys. Hope those wounds heal fast, Degel."

"Me, too," Degel nodded. "And thank you."

"No problem," said the younger Gemini. With that, the two brothers left, talking animatedly.

As soon as they entered the temple, Kardia headed straight for the bathroom. After the Scorpio reached the edge of the Roman-style bath, he helped Degel undress, then stripped off his armor and clothes.

"Why are you taking your clothes off, Kardia?" the Aquarian questioned.

"Well, I can't help you wash yourself from up here," Kardia stated matter-of-factly. "And I haven't had even a short shower in at least three days."

Degel couldn't help staring at the Scorpio's amazing physique: large biceps, broad chest with chiseled features, a rock-hard six-pack, and long muscular legs, all of it covered in a layer of bronze skin. The wavy cascade of blue hair reached the small of his back.

Little did Degel realize, Kardia was studying his features, too. He'd seen Degel's body before, but never unclothed.

Even through all of the blood and bruises, the Scorpio could see how beautiful his boyfriend's body was. His figure in general was a lot skinnier; the limbs were muscular, no doubt, but not as pronounced as Kardia's. He had prominent, six-pack abs, which the Scorpio found sexy. What really enchanted Kardia, especially in the training grounds when he was wearing leggings, was Degel's hips; they had just enough curviness to seem slightly feminine. His straight, light green hair flowed gracefully to his waist. And the Scorpio didn't miss how cute Degel was acting, trying to look casual as he held his hands in front of his private area.

The two young men suddenly locked their gazes, noticing that the other was looking at them. Both of their faces turned bright red, and they looked away in embarrassment of being found out.

"Uh... Sorry 'bout that," Kardia said awkwardly, helping Degel into the water. "But you don't have to cover yourself up, you know. You're beautiful. No words could ever describe it. You're like a living angel." Degel blushed as Kardia leaned over and captured his lips in a slow, sensual kiss.

Most of the blood and dirt on Degel's chest came off easily with gentle scrubbing. There were a few sizable gashes on his stomach that stung, but the smaller cuts and scratches didn't hurt. The worst pain was when Kardia was washing his back, which Degel had informed was whipped with the awful strings. The blood was caked over and along the huge gashes, making the job even more painful. Kardia did everything he could to scrub everything off and be gentle at the same time, which proved to be a tough task.

Finally, after more agonizingly slow minutes, Kardia said, "Alright, I'm done with the bad part. All we have to do is wash your hair and we'll be done." Degel sighed in relief, leaning back against Kardia as the Scorpio squeezed some shampoo into his hand. He gently rubbed the substance into the long green locks, smelling a familiar scent.

"Degel, is this apple-scented?" Kardia asked, his lips spread in a playful smile.

"It makes me happy," the Aquarian said, grinning and turning pink. "Since you always smell like apples, I bought it because it reminds me of you; it's like having a little piece of you with me when you're gone."

The Scorpio smiled widely. "That is the cutest thing I've ever heard," he gushed, gently twisting Degel's head to the side and kissing him on the cheek affectionately, the pale green suds sliding gently down his face. The Aquarian felt some of the pain slip away under the massaging treatment on his scalp, a precious calmness spreading around him.

After washing Degel's hair, Kardia washed himself and let the Aquarius soak for a while. Then, he helped him dry off and carried him to the bedroom, helping him put on some pants and then going to the door when Albafica arrived. He took the salve, said a final thank-you, and went back to his Aquarian.

The Pisces was right; the salve did sting quite a bit when it was applied, as Degel found out. It didn't take long to put on, though, and after Kardia bandaged the Frenchman's lacerations and brushed both of their hair, the Scorpio slid under the covers to hold him and comfort him. They sat in silence for a while, Degel laying on his side with his head on Kardia's chest. The Scorpio held him closer, kissing his forehead and rubbing his shoulder with immense tenderness.

Suddenly, a hot sensation spread throughout Kardia's body. His heart throbbed and began burning strongly. A frightened and agonized groan escaped the Scorpio's throat; Degel sat up, despite the horrible pain, and set his hand on his beloved's chest, sending his cold cosmos into the burning organ. Kardia looked up at him through squinted eyes, fearing his lover's pain-filled look. His heart slowly stopped burning, and he gathered his beloved Degel in his arms, holding him tightly and rubbing his shoulder to try and ease his pain.

"I'm sorry, darling," Kardia whispered, his eyes filling with tears at the thought of causing his beloved pain.

"It wasn't your fault, you silly scorpion," Degel assured tenderly, smiling despite the burning sensation. "Now quit that; there's no reason to cry. I'm okay." The Aquarian leaned his head against Kardia's chest. There was a long silence between them, and when Kardia looked down, he saw that his beautiful, green-haired angel had fallen asleep. In a few long minutes, the Scorpio also fell into a well-needed rest.

Dawn was breaking as Degel awoke from his slumber. It didn't surprise him that his back throbbed like the bass at a rock concert. What did surprise him was that his bed, besides himself, was empty.

A sudden sound startled him. Degel concluded that it was coming from the bathroom. He strained to hear what the sounds were. He listened again; there was a cough, then an unidentifiable sound.

"Kardia?" Degel called, sitting up. The pain wasn't as bad as he anticipated. The only reply he received was more coughing and that strange sound. With a little difficulty, he stood up and walked over to the bathroom door, which was closed at the moment. Now that he was closer, Degel realized that the weird sound was vomiting.

"Kardia, are you alright?" Degel yelled again, leaning on the door.

"Peachy," Kardia replied hoarsely, taking some raspy breaths as another wave of nausea hit him. Degel opened the door just in time to see his partner, bent over the toilet and holding his hair back with one hand, cough up water and bile. The green-haired man rushed to Kardia's side and took the thick, wavy mass of blue strands into his hand so that his lover could steady himself better. Just in time for another moment of retching.

"Good thing I didn't eat anything," the Scorpio said blandly. He set his hands on the tank and cradled his head in his forearms, taking deep breaths. Degel, still holding back Kardia's hair, rubbed the blue-haired man's back soothingly.

"You should rest now, mon cher," Degel insisted, wrapping Kardia in a hug as he stood up. "I'll make you some chicken broth."

"But what about you?" asked Kardia, coughing into his arm before returning the hug. "We should change those dressings, they're probably nasty-lookin'."

"I'll be fine. We can do that in a little bit." The Frenchman placed a tender kiss on the Greek's red cheek. "You're sick, so you need to sleep."

"Alright, fine," Kardia said, defeated. Degel grabbed his hand and he reluctantly followed the Frenchman to bed again.

"And put on some flannel pajamas," Degel added. "You need to stay warm if you want to get better." After putting his flannel pajamas on, Kardia fell heavily onto the soft mattress, sighing contentedly as his beloved Aquarian stroked his hair.

It wasn't long until Degel heard the soft breath of sleep from Kardia. With a small smile, he went to the kitchen to prepare some tea and chicken broth.

I need to come up with something for the two of us to do, Degel thought. We haven't really been able to do anything for the past few weeks. But what would he like to do? I want it to be a surprise, but I want to do something he'd want to do, too. Let's see... what's something we have in common? Well, we both like swimming, and apples, and picnics, and going to the beach... A nice dinner on the beach! It's perfect!

"Degel, you are such a genius," the Aquarius said aloud to himself. With his idea in place, he wanted to get started on preparations as soon as possible; of course, after he made Kardia's chicken broth.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Coming up next: things get a little heated between these two love birds ;)

Hope you're all enjoying the story so far! Hugs and kisses from Kardia and Degel! :P


	3. Degel Plays Prince Charming

Two weeks passed quickly as Degel planned out his romantic evening with Kardia. With help from a few of his fellow Gold Saints, Degel was able to find and create the perfect setting for their special night.

Aldebaran was the first Saint Degel went to; the Taurus was an amazing cook, and he started his own catering business after the Saints' resurrection. They decided on a French cuisine because there were two dishes that Kardia had tried and loved when he and Degel were sent on a mission to France. He chose these dishes as a tribute to first-time opportunities.

After deciding on the food, Degel needed to focus on scenery and table settings. Shion knew the beach pretty well, so he brought the Aquarius to a location where the sunset would cast a perfect scene. Degel fell in love with the sight immediately. To complement the sunset sky, Shion proposed an orange tablecloth with ivory trimming and designs. The Aquarian brought out his silver dining set to add a little elegance.

The final preparations for this special evening included flowers and fashion: Albafica's department. Since it was going to be a whimsical evening, and since they were Albafica's specialty, the main flowers for the occasion were roses. The Pisces Saint made a beautiful arrangement of orange, pink, and white roses for the centerpiece, a few clumps of baby's breath here and there to liven it up a little. The cylindrical vase was adorned with orange and ivory ribbon tied into a bow.

Finding an outfit for Degel took longer than expected. Albafica took the Frenchman shopping at a men's department store, where the two Saints spent almost two hours trying to find an outfit that would accent Degel's delicate curves and slender structure. They settled on a pair of fitted black pants, a violet dress shirt, a black vest, and a black tie (he didn't really need shoes if they were going to be at the beach). The Aquarius wasn't too fond of how tight the pants were; they could almost be called skinny jeans, but with a little more flare at the bottom. It took Albafica quite a while to convince Degel to get them.

After the final week of planning, the day had finally come. The four date planners left training early to set everything up perfectly. The sun was setting slowly as they rushed to the site and prepared.

"Are you okay, Degel?" asked Aldebaran, noticing that he was a little paler than usual.

"Yeah," replied the Aquarian quickly. "I'm nervous, that's all."

"You'll do fine," Albafica said, placing his hands on Degel's shoulders and shaking him a little (don't worry; Albafica is no longer poisonous).

"That's right," Shion added. "Call up your sweetheart and tell him to get his butt dressed nicely and meet you at the beach."

"Umm... Wouldn't that make it obvious?" asked Degel.

"Just tell him to come up for dinner tonight," suggested Albafica. "He'd dress nice for that. Then make him close his eyes and lead him to the beach. He'll totally freak out when he sees what you did for him!"

"Just tell me when you're getting ready, so I can bring the food up," Aldebaran said.

"Alright," Degel breathed. "Holy Athena, I'm just so excited! I gotta go now. Thanks for everything, you guys! I would've never been able to pull this off if it wasn't for your help!" He hugged each one of the Saints and then bolted up the stairs to the Aquarius Temple to call Kardia and get ready for the big event.

Meanwhile, in the Scorpio Temple...

It was five o'clock. Kardia had just gotten home from a long day of training with Yato. Even with all of the exciting events of the day, the Scorpio was waiting for his beloved Degel to come visit him.

Instead, his cell phone began to ring. Kardia looked at the screen, and saw that it was his Degel.

"Hey, beautiful," Kardia said happily after answering the call. "How's my little Ice Cube today?"

"Hello, _mon amour_. I'm doing great," replied Degel. "I was calling to see if you'd like to go out and have dinner with me tonight."

"I'd love to! Where are we going?" asked the excited Scorpio.

"It's a secret," said Degel mischievously.

"Even better! I love secrets! What time do you want me to meet you?"

"Does six o'clock sound alright to you?"

"Sounds great! I was just about to jump in the shower, anyway."

"Alright. See you at six, then?"

"Yep! I'll get ready right now! I love you, Ice Cube!"

"I love you too, darling." Degel hung up and paced the room a little bit. His anxiety levels were growing rapidly. _I can't let myself worry right now!_ Degel mentally scolded himself. _I was the one who set this up, now I have to man up and go through with it!_ Without any further thought, Degel walked to the bathroom to take a cold shower and prepare for the night ahead.

OoOoOoOoO

Kardia once again checked the clock: five fifty-four. _I should probably get going_ , the Scorpio thought. He was dressed in his black Rock Revival jeans, black Converse All-Stars, a three-quarter-sleeve red dress shirt, and a black tie. His blue curls bounced against his back as he headed up the stairs to Degel's temple.

Stress levels were at a higher elevation than Mount Everest in the Aquarius Temple. Degel was pacing his living room anxiously, hoping that he didn't mess something up. Aldebaran called him about three minutes prior and said that the plates were set. Now, all he had to do was pace the room and wait for Kardia to arrive.

A sudden knock brought Degel out of his stupor. His heart rate escalated at an alarming pace; after taking a few deep breaths, he opened the door.

"Hey there, Ice Cube!" Kardia rushed in and gave Degel an affectionate hug.

"Hi, darling!" Degel replied, feeling his stress go down slightly at the feeling of being in his partner's arms. "Are you ready to go?"

"Uh, ya! I've been thinking about this 'secret place' this whole time!"

"Alright. But you gotta close your eyes first. And you can leave your shoes here." Kardia gave him a quizzical look, but did as he was told.

"But now I can't see your pretty face, Degel," Kardia whined after he closed his eyes. The Aquarian chuckled at the childish behavior of his Greek boyfriend; Kardia could be such a kid sometimes.

"You'll see me soon enough," Degel assured. "I'm gonna lead you out, okay? Just follow me." He grabbed the Scorpio's hand and walked out of the building, heading to their destination.

It didn't take long for the solid slabs under Kardia's feet to turn into the granular substance of sand. The Greek's eyebrows furrowed. _Why did he bring me to the beach?_ he thought.

"We're here!" Degel announced happily.

"Can I open my eyes now?!" Kardia asked, shifting from one foot to the other impatiently.

"Yes, you can open them," laughed the Aquarius. Kardia immediately removed his hand.

The setting sun cast the perfect effect over the scene. As he had planned, the orange tablecloth complemented the sunset beautifully. Bright orange light reflected off the silver tableware, adding a dramatic touch to the whole scene.

"OH MY GODDESS, DEGEL!" Kardia squealed. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THIS!" His happiness knew no bounds; he began jumping up and down excitedly and crying happy tears. He hugged Degel in a bone-crushing embrace, joining their lips in a sensual, greedy kiss. Degel wrapped his arms around the Scorpio's neck, pulling him closer as their kiss deepened. Lack of breath separated their heartfelt action, so they gave each other one last hug before walking to the table, hand in hand.

Their meal consisted of braised venison, loaded baked potatoes, and escargot. As the two Saints ate, they described their day and discussed where their relationship would turn from that point on. As they finished their meal, Kardia stood, took Degel's hand, and led his beloved on a romantic evening walk along the beach.

"Would you like me to stay in the Aquarius Temple with you tonight?" Kardia asked, mesmerized by Degel's beauty as the sun tinted his hair and face orange.

"I would love it, if you wouldn't mind," replied the Aquarius, smiling sweetly.

"Of course I wouldn't mind, silly," the Scorpio chuckled at Degel's cuteness and pulled him into a slow, sensual kiss. Since their first kiss, Kardia was addicted; he needed these wonderful kisses with Degel like he needed air to breathe.

A sudden appearance of a familiar cosmos made the Frenchman stop their action. Kardia became irritated by the person, and wanted to stick him with his Scarlet Needle for breaking this beautiful union with his green-haired beloved.

"Come out, Regulus," Degel called, also annoyed. "I know you're hiding." The Leo Gold Saint walked out from behind a boulder, hanging his head.

"Sorry... I didn't mean to see you," said the short Greek teenager. "I was walking along the beach to see if Sisyphus was here because he wasn't in his temple. Have you seen him?"

"No, I haven't, sorry," replied the Aquarius. "Try the training grounds."

"Oh, I never thought of that," said Regulus, facepalming. "Jeez, what was I thinking? Thanks, Degel!"

"No problem, Regulus." Degel smiled to the boy as he ran off. Kardia hugged him from behind, planting a gentle kiss on the Frenchman's earlobe.

"Now, where were we?" Kardia asked playfully in Degel's ear, turning him around and linking their lips again.

"You're such a beast," Degel said against the press of Kardia's lips. The Scorpio smiled, scouring every inch of the Frenchman's mouth with his tongue.

"You love this beast," he smirked mischievously. Degel just smiled and captured his lips one more time.

The two Saints spent another hour or so at the beach, walking in the sand as the waves lapped at their feet. Kardia just listened to Degel talk about his books. The Scorpio's "unclean" thoughts had finally caught up with him, and he found it hard to keep his thoughts to himself. He had become impatient, waiting for the Aquarian to feel the same as he did.

After a quick decision, the couple decided to head back to the Aquarius Temple.

"So, what do you want to do?" Degel asked shyly. Wait, was he blushing? Kardia couldn't really tell due to the sunlight filtering in from the windows.

"Well," the Scorpio began, blushing slightly, "there is _one thing_ I'd like to do... But I don't think you'd want to."

"What's that?" Degel asked.

"It's nothing, Degel."

"C'mon, you can tell me."

"No, you wouldn't want to."

"Kardia." Degel grabbed his shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "Would you like to play a game?"

"Sure," Kardia replied, relieved. A game couldn't hurt, right? "What kind of game?"

"Follow me," answered the Aquarian, obviously blushing now. Not knowing what else to do, Kardia followed him down the hallway.

"Whoa, hold on," the Scorpio said when they reached their destination: Degel's bedroom. "Are you talking about _that_ kind of thing?"

"Yes," the Aquarius replied quietly.

"A-are you _sure_ about this? Trust me, I'm not against it, but I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"I've thought about it a lot," the Frenchman said. "We were given the chance for a new life, a life to live as we see fit. We both feel the same, so... why hold back? Why fight our desires when we know that we can put everyone's opinions aside and be the people we want to be? For once, I don't want to be a Saint. I want to go out, see the world... and I want all my experiences to be with you, Kardia."

"I want to do that with you, too," Kardia said with certainty. "I've been thinking about this a long time, too, but I didn't want to bring it up; I didn't think that you would consent to that kind of thing so early. And I absolutely knew I had to wait for you to be ready, wait for your consent to let us take this next step. I didn't want to put you in an uncomfortable position." The Aquarian felt his heart melt, throwing his arms around his amazing partner.

"Kardia, I love you _so much_ ," Degel whispered in the Scorpio's ear.

"I love you too, Degel," the Greek said, looking into the Aquarian's violet eyes. "I love you more than anything in the entire world." Then, he crushed their lips in a heated and passionate kiss.

"Just... Be gentle. It's my first time," Degel said quietly.

"I promise," Kardia said as he move a lock of hair behind Degel's ear, kissing him on the lips and leading a series of light pecks down to where his chin met his neck.

Upon reaching that junction, Kardia licked the delicate skin, making Degel moan quietly. Noticing that, the Scorpio continued to lick, suck, and nibble on that place, branding Degel with a red mark. He continued on his way downward, covering Degel's neck and clavicle in reddish-purple marks as he untied the black tie around his partner's neck. Degel felt immense pleasure under Kardia's mouth, making contented noises whenever he hit a point of pleasure and clinging to him harder as his legs felt weaker and weaker.

Kardia, feeling Degel melt under his lips, led the Frenchman to the bed. He pulled off Degel's vest and shirt, then his own, and sat on the Aquarian's abdomen. He discarded the garments on the floor, along with both of their ties.

"Can I go lower?" He asked. Degel nodded his approval, feeling a strong need for Kardia's mouth on more of his body.

Not wasting any time, Kardia began to lick Degel's chiseled chest. Degel whimpered slightly, feeling a strange heat in his groin. He gasped as Kardia ran a calloused finger over a sensitive nipple, the flat circles hardening under the amazing touch. Degel couldn't contain his excitement as the Scorpio's tongue ran across the other, licking and sucking while a rough hand played with the first.

"Kardia!" he moaned loudly, this precious stimulation making him lose his mind. "I-it's... so good... unh..."

Kardia moved lower still, becoming more impatient as he began to nip the skin on Degel's abdomen. The Aquarian squirmed under these endearments. He was losing his reason quickly.

Kardia stopped his action abruptly as he reached the waistband of Degel's pants, making the Frenchman groan with anticipation.

"You think that was good; just wait until this next part," Kardia said, capturing Degel's lips in a rough kiss as his hand unbuttoned, unzipped, and slid into the Aquarian's pants.

"Uuuuuh," Degel groaned, the pleasure overwhelming his thoughts as Kardia's touch sent electric currents through his body, making him arch his back. The Scorpio smiled triumphantly, kissing Degel's red cheek as his green-haired angel tried to regain his breath. Removing his hand, the Greek pulled off the Frenchman's pants and underwear, gifting him with an erotic view.

Degel's blushed face was framed in a halo of green hair, some stray strands sticking to his face with sweat. His chest heaved, the nipples standing out like fleshy pearls. And, standing in between his slightly parted legs, was the erect member. It was longer than average by most standards; the Greek estimated seven and a half inches. Kardia's eyes loomed over it, then looked to Degel for permission. The Aquarian nodded, and he began his new session.

Kardia wrapped his fingers around Degel's shaft, making him moan, his eyes begging for more. Soon, the Scorpio began to stroke it lightly and slowly, allowing the Aquarian to get used to the feeling. Hearing Degel's hoarse groans, Kardia sped up little by little, making the Frenchman arch his back more with every stroke. The Greek went back to licking and biting the white neck, rewarded by loud groans in his ear.

Degel couldn't stand it. He began to move his hips with Kardia's hand movements, deepening the pleasure even more. He began to feel a hot sensation in his stomach, which continued to grow as the stimulation grew more and more pleasurable. The small spark in his stomach was now a burning fire, a fire that kept growing bigger and bigger, until it was like a flaming forest.

"K-Kardia," Degel stuttered, making the Scorpio look up at him. His face was contorted in pleasure, the eyes glossed over. "I... I can't... hold on... m-much longer..." Kardia watched Degel's face closely, knowing that it wouldn't take much longer for him to orgasm. The Aquarian's legs were shaking as his hand stimulated his partner's now-throbbing manhood faster, and his ears delighted in hearing Degel's hoarse groans and erotic breathing. Then, he had a new idea.

When Kardia took his hand away, Degel groaned in yearning, needing to relieve himself from this scorching dilemma. But Kardia settled him and spread his legs apart, bringing his head near the Aquarian's throbbing member. He smile mischievously, as only he could, and started to lick the head of the erect manhood.

Degel nearly screamed in ecstasy; he had never felt something so good. He buried his smooth hands in Kardia's long hair, feeling the fire inside of him growing into an angry volcano.

Kardia's eyes narrowed as he smiled rapaciously; his self-control was dwindling fast as he took the tip of Degel's hard member into his mouth, sucking and wrapping his tongue around it in a slow manner. Degel screamed louder and louder; he couldn't tell what was happening but he had a sudden rushing sensation in his abdomen.

"KARDIA!" The volcano inside of him erupted, making him shiver as he reached his first experienced climax. A white light shrouded Degel's vision as he came, his semen flowing into the warm, soft cavity of Kardia's mouth. For a while, Degel forgot his own name, where he was, who was with him. The white light of pure ecstasy engulfed him.

Kardia watched Degel's awestruck face as he reached the final wave. The blushed cheeks, open mouth, and clouded-over eyes made his excitement grow even more, but that was nothing compared to what came afterwards. He heard his name being expelled from his lover's lips, then felt the creamy texture of Degel's semen hit his tongue with force; he tasted the sweet flavor of Degel's juices, barely containing a horny growl. The beast inside him had fully awoken, and he needed Degel to satisfy his hunger.

Leaning over the Aquarian, Kardia joined their lips in a lustful and greedy kiss. The tastes of each other were accompanied by another flavor as Kardia let the semen flow between their mouths, making both of them moan. After pulling away, the Scorpio looked down at his beloved, who was trying to suck in more air.

"How was it, Degel? Looked pretty good from down there," Kardia asked, a smile spread across his face.

"I've never felt...anything like it," Degel confessed, blushing lightly. "It was amazing."

"Are you ready for the last part?" The Frenchman knew what he meant and nodded. Kardia, noticing the worried look on Degel's face, stroked the green-haired man's red cheek and placed a kiss the Aquarian's lips.

"We'll get you up again, and then we'll start, okay?" the Scorpio murmured.

With a quick move, the Scorpio once again brought Degel's shaft into his mouth, making the Frenchman groan in pleasure. Kardia suddenly pulled off him, close enough to touch it with his breath but too far to suck or lick it, and it made Degel crazy. Kardia knew it, too, as he began to blow warm air over the moist piece of flesh. The Aquarian groaned in anticipation; his hardening manhood throbbed, needing the feel of Kardia's moist tongue and hot mouth around it. He felt he would explode if Kardia insisted to torture him like that.

But Kardia continued to torment him. He changed the strength of each breath, sometimes so light Degel could barely feel it, other times blowing strongly and making the Aquarian shiver. He ran the tip of his tongue over the slit on the Frenchman's member, making Degel moan loudly and try to get into the Greek's warm mouth, but he was still denied access to the damp location.

"N-no more... Please, Kardia," Degel begged between breaths. "I can't... take it... anymore. I need you." He grabbed onto Kardia's head, trying to pull him down, but the Scorpio resisted. He looked down and saw his beloved Scorpio smiling mischievously.

"This is only going to make you feel more pleasure, darling," said Kardia. "If I continue to let you release now, the last one won't feel near as good as it should." He ducked down, past the member, to the scrotum, where he continued licking. Degel moaned loudly, his hand still holding onto the blue locks of hair as the Scorpio left his stones to lavish the tip of his hard member with his mouth.

The Frenchman couldn't take it anymore; he needed more, much more. He started moving his hips, groaning at the wonderful feeling of a more powerful stimulus. Kardia began moving along the hard flesh, taking more and more of the hard member into his mouth. His tongue danced across the red-tainted skin, making Degel shiver and moan excitedly.

Suddenly, everything stopped.

"Kardia," Degel groaned desperately. "Why'd you stop? It hurts..."

"What hurts?" asked Kardia, leaning over his unsatisfied lover.

"This," murmured the Frenchman; he pointed to his erection, which had grown considerably harder. "It's on fire... I can't take it... I need you. Now!" Degel was going crazy, tortured by the painful hardness in his erection. He lifted his hips, rubbing his member against Kardia's, which was still confined in his now-claustrophobic jeans. Kardia groaned, feeling more turned on at this slight movement over his erection, which was beginning to throb profusely.

The Scorpio couldn't believe what he was seeing. Degel was wild, running his hands along his torso, leading towards his waist. Kardia tried to unbutton and unzip his pants, but Degel beat him to the punch. The pale hand slid into his jeans, gripping onto his hard erection. Kardia moaned lightly as the stiff flesh was finally relieved of its tight confines, feeling a rush of pleasure as the hand began to move up and down its length. The Greek's skin burned under the amazing touch; he groaned lustfully as he became harder still. Suddenly, Degel flipped them so that he was now on top.

He wasted no time, quickly pulling off the Scorpio's pants. Degel gazed in awe at Kardia's member; if his was considered above average, then the Scorpio's was gigantic!

"Kardia... how big is that?" the Frenchman asked, his voice wavering.

"Eight," Kardia replied, feeling a small rush to see his lover's surprised expression. Degel suddenly felt frightened; he couldn't imagine how that thing was going to fit inside him.

Kardia must have realized his fear because he flipped them over again, sitting on Degel's waist. He moved down a little more so that their shafts were aligned. His other hand wrapped around both of their members, making them rub together slightly. Both of the Saints moaned. Kardia began moving his hand up and down slowly, giving pleasure to both of their hot erections.

The Aquarian moaned loudly, the excitement from his member rubbing against Kardia's overwhelming his thoughts. Their hips moved together, deepening their enjoyment even more.

Once again, the stimulus stopped. The Scorpio heard the desperate groan from his beloved Degel. He looked into the cloudy eyes, seeing the pain of a much-needed release in the violet depths. He felt the same aching and throbbing in his own member, but he had to prepare Degel first.

"It's okay, Degel," Kardia assured softly, laying feathery kisses on the Frenchman's face. "Everything is new for you; I know you must be frustrated, but I'm going slow so that you can get used to it, okay? This next step is gonna make things easier, but it might hurt a little, so just tell me if I need to go slower." Degel nodded, spreading his legs a little. The Scorpio grabbed his pants and pulled out a small, rectangular packet labelled "F & I". He tore it open, then squeezed some of the contents onto his fingers; it was a clear gel with a blueish tint.

"What's that?" Degel asked with unease.

"You'll see," Kardia replied, kissing the green-haired man's chest. "It's nothing that can hurt you. You'll like this stuff; trust me, I've used it on myself before."

Kardia lowered his hand to the Aquarian's lower extremities, pressing a wet finger against his entrance lightly, moving his fingertip in small circles around the pink rim. The gel felt cold on Degel's skin, but it soon began to heat up, causing a jolt of pleasure up his spine. Hearing a satisfied moan, the Scorpio slowly introduced a digit into the tight cavity, noticing a minor resistance. Degel groaned, feeling a minimal ache and small discomfort. Then, the cold gel began to heat up, and he gasped another jolt made his back jerk upwards. The heat was unlike anything he'd ever felt before, and before he knew it, Degel was moving his hips to try to deepen this pleasure.

Seeing his partner's reaction, Kardia slowly moved the finger in and out, making a circular motion with it. The Frenchman moaned as the tingling subsided and his excitement built, moving his hips harder as the pleasure was overwhelming his mind.

"M-more, Kardia," Degel begged. "I... I need m-more..."

Noticing Degel's pleasure, Kardia added another finger into the slick cavity. The Frenchman felt electric volts shoot up his spine as that finger joined the rhythm of the first.

Suddenly, the hot sensation inside of him turned cold. Oddly enough, this change gave the Aquarian even more pleasure. He could do hardly anything but gasp and moan profusely. His hip movements progressed, making the fingers enter him harder and deeper.

"Oh, fuck!" Degel groaned. "K-Kardia, what the hell i-is th-that?"

"'Fire and Ice' lubrication," Kardia replied casually, his eyes shining with lust. "I told you it felt good, didn't I?" _So that's what the 'F & I" label meant_, Degel thought to himself, jerking as the cold feeling inside turned hot again.

"Think you can handle one more, Degel?" Kardia asked, cutting into his reverie. The Scorpio was having a hard time keeping himself under control between the temperature change of the lubrication and his lover's desperate moaning.

A final finger was almost forced into Degel's entrance. The resistance built up a little bigger than the first two times, the walls of the tight cavity squeezing Kardia's fingers. Degel cringed, groaning at the burning sensation. The Scorpio stopped all movements, covering his lover's face in feathery kisses.

"Relax, Degel," Kardia consoled. "It's okay; just relax. Here; maybe we need more lube." He removed his fingers to cover them with more of the invigorating gel, earning a whine from his lover.

"No, Kardiaaaa," Degel begged, pulling the Greek's arm back down. "Don't stop noooow..."

"I'm just putting more lube on them," Kardia said defensively. " Do you really like them that much?" Without waiting for an answer, the Scorpio slowly introduced the first two fingers into the expanded cavity. Then, he squeezed the third in, too, hearing the constant groans from his lover.

"Aaaaahn yes, Kardia! Yes!" the Frenchman raved, his grip tightening on the bed sheets. "More... G-give me more! Ahn!" Kardia leaned over the Aquarian, kissing the red lips harshly in order to calm some of the fire in his groin. The Greek delighted in those delicious moans, and before he knew it, his fingers began rotating stronger. Degel moaned louder, feeling the digits penetrate him deeper than ever as the temperature of the lubrication changed more and more often.

Suddenly, it was like a pleasure button had been pushed. Kardia's fingers made a harsh upward move deep in the warm cavity and hit a soft spot; that movement on that point made Degel scream in ecstasy The Greek smiled seductively, hitting that same point again and making Degel squirm.

"KARDIA!" Degel screamed, losing his mind in so much lust. Kardia continued, admiring Degel's flushed face that was twisted with immense lust and desire. "Aaahn... Oh Gods... Yes! Ahn! Harder, Kardia! PLEASE!" Kardia smiled seductively, loving the affect he had on Degel. He was amazed to see him as this wild, horny animal that needed his attention.

Kardia removed his fingers from Degel's entrance, making him almost sob in discontentment. He kissed the Aquarian on the forehead as he lifted his legs and brought them towards his hips. Degel wrapped his legs around Kardia's waist and his arms around his back. The Scorpio, seeing a scared look on the Aquarian's face, kissed him to calm him down and used the rest of the lubrication on his member, shivering at the multiple sensations. Soon, the tip of the Greek's erection rubbed against the prepared hole, making Degel moan excitedly.

With a slow movement, Kardia began to enter his beloved Degel. He moaned Degel's name loudly as the wet and hot cavity engulfed his member in a pleasurable embrace.

Degel couldn't contain himself, either. He groaned loudly, feeling a little bit of pain. But the pleasure he felt as soon as Kardia got all the way inside overrode that unpleasant feeling. He moaned loudly, arching his back strongly. He looked into Kardia's blue eyes and saw the same lust. He moved his hips slightly, making sure it wouldn't hurt, then whispered, "Move" into Kardia's ear. The Greek obeyed his command, moving very slowly so Degel could get used to it.

The Frenchman didn't know what was happening to him. Ever since he'd come back from Hades, he'd changed into a completely different person. He was more caring and open to talk about things; he wasn't near as smart-assy or cold as he used to be. And now, he was in a relationship and having sex. Who would've thought this of Aquarius Degel, the coldest Saint in Sanctuary? He certainly didn't; but he accepted it, allowing himself to evolve into this new being. And now, he just wanted to live his life the way he saw fit.

He began to see himself spending the rest of his life with Kardia. He loved having Kardia to himself. Being with the Scorpio now, feeling him inside his body and under his touch, made Degel the happiest man alive.

With his overflowing desire and need for release, Degel told Kardia to move faster. The Greek did so, moaning as his member was gifted with a slightly increased amount of friction. Degel lifted his legs more, giving Kardia more access and allowing the talented member to sink deeper into him.

"D-Degel... you're so tight," Kardia moaned in adoration. "Oh Gods, you're so good... Ah..."

Just as Kardia pushed deep into the warm entrance, his member hit that special point again. Degel's eyes widened as he screamed in pleasure and ecstasy, digging his nails into the Scorpio's back with more force. Kardia smiled and gently hit the Aquarian's prostate again, hearing another satisfying howl.

"F-faster, Kardia," Degel said breathlessly. "Harder... I need it harder!" The Scorpio groaned as he moved his hips faster, his throbbing member sinking into the soft cavity at a more frantic pace. Degel moaned lustfully, the pleasure taking over his senses as he moved his hips faster. A forest fire burned in his stomach, and he knew he was getting closer and closer to a sweet release.

Suddenly, Kardia wrapped his hand around Degel's hot, pulsing member. The Frenchman moaned vehemently, both stimuli driving him crazy. However, as soon as he felt Kardia's hot tongue on his sensitive nipples, he howled in pleasure.

"Kardia!" Degel begged desperately, the fire turning into a volcano inside him. "Ah... Ah, please! So good... Don't stop! I need you! Please!" Hearing his lover's erotic cries, Kardia almost lost his sanity. He gave in a little more, keeping in mind not to use so much force that he hurt Degel. He continued thrusting deep into that delicious cavity that was wrapped around his throbbing member. Every thrust hit right on that sacred point, making Degel scream.

"Ah, Gods! KARDIA!" Degel had also abandoned his sanity, his hips moving harder and faster in a rhythm that met Kardia's careful thrusts. The Aquarian screamed in pure ecstasy, feeling like he was going to explode any minute.

"K-Kardia... I... I'm close," Degel said between lustful moans, his member quivering and dripping precum.

"Me too, darling... Ah, Gods," Kardia groaned, feeling a hot volcano inside his stomach. His thrusts and strokes on Degel's member were getting more frantic, leading both of them to the edge of a cliff of ecstasy.

"KARDIAAAAAAA!" Degel screamed, on the edge of a blissful release. Kardia groaned loudly, taking a few deep and desperate thrusts. Their combined screams of each other's names filled the room, dwindling into the darkness of every corner as they came. Kardia filled Degel as the Aquarian watered their abdomens, the Frenchman's nails digging into Kardia's back.

The two lovers looked into each other's eyes affectionately, their labored breaths mingling. Kardia fell heavily overtop of Degel, supporting himself with his forearms as he kissed his beloved Frenchman on the lips. Their tongues danced slowly, adding a sensual end to their exciting night. The Scorpio pulled out of the Aquarian's entry slowly so that he wouldn't hurt him. Degel pulled out of their kiss, moaning Kardia's name as he released another load, once again watering their abdomens in semen. Kardia kissed him one more time, then went down to lick up the juices on Degel's stomach, sending shivers up the Aquarian's body. Then he laid overtop of Degel with a heavy sigh.

"It was so good, darling," Kardia said, his half-closed eyes looking into his lover's as he caressed the Aquarian's abdomen, smiling. This smile wasn't rapacious or malevolent; it was full of tenderness and happiness. Degel beamed seeing such a beautiful smile on his dear Greek's face.

"You were amazing, _mon amour_ ," Degel murmured, so exhausted he didn't want to move. "I've never felt this good before. Thank you for being with me, Kardia. Without you, I would've never become the man I am today. I love you with all of my being." Kardia teared up hearing these sweet words. He smiled sweetly and leaned up, kissing the spot on Degel's chest where the heart was.

"I love you with all of my being, too, _agapi mou_ ," Kardia said, making a trail of kisses that started at the chest, moved through the Adam's Apple, up the neck, along the chin, and ended at Degel's thin lips. He kissed his beloved Aquarian with tenderness, and Degel returned it.

When their kiss ended, Kardia moved and laid on his back next to Degel, who turned towards him and laid his head on the broad chest of his lover. He put his arms around his Aquarius and rubbed his back, which was slick with sweat. Degel sighed contentedly. They soon fell into the embrace of Morpheus, glad that their night turned out just how they wanted it.

OoOoOoOoO

By the angle of the sun, Kardia could tell that the morning was almost gone. Checking his phone, he realized that it was 12:30. But that was okay; they still had a few days of vacation left. Right now, he just wanted to spend the afternoon with his dear Aquarius.

Kardia looked, but the Frenchman wasn't in the bed next to him. He soon found out where he was when something smooth and wet touched his ankle, making him squirm a little. The Scorpio looked down and noticed that something was under the blankets. He knew it was Degel when the soft hands began running up and down his thighs, getting increasingly closer to his morning erection. He smirked and laid back, letting Degel work his magic.

The Aquarius wanted to recreate their exciting night, and he thought up a devious idea for their morning. He tortured the Scorpio, using his tongue to lick just above and to the sides of his erect member, making Kardia groan anxiously. Then, to make him even more needy, Degel kissed and licked his way up to the Scorpio's navel. He nipped the outer skin with his teeth, making Kardia gasp. He smiled, then plunged his tongue into the Greek's navel, causing the blue-haired man to squirm and moan loudly.

Suddenly, Degel left the Scorpio completely. Kardia groaned, wondering what the hell Degel was trying to do to him. He got his answer when the Frenchman took a portion of his erection into his mouth.

"DEGEL!" Kardia screamed into the late morning, arching his back strongly while Degel sucked him greedily. The Scorpio writhed and moaned in pleasure, feeling closer and closer to a release as his hands went down to press Degel's head against him more.

"D-Degel..." It was a perfect plea, a sound ridiculously tempting to the Aquarian. "Degel... I'm gonna... gonna explode... Gods, it's so good, Degel... AH!" Degel flicked his tongue over the bottom of Kardia's hard manhood, making the Scorpio release deep into his mouth. But Degel wasn't done; after Kardia finished, he went up to his chest, dripping semen onto the pointed nipples and licking them before emerging from under the covers. He smiled, seeing his lover's red face. He licked his lips seductively, then swallowed the rest of Kardia's juices. He pulled the Greek into a deep kiss, mixing the sweet taste with their saliva.

"Well, good morning to you, too," said the Scorpio, smiling at his beloved.

"I hope you're not thinking we're done here," Degel said lowly, sitting on Kardia's abdomen and revealing his desire. "Someone else needs a little attention, too." The Scorpio smirked mischievously, getting a good idea of what Degel wanted.

"You've been warned," Kardia said before flipping Degel over and kissing him greedily. The Aquarian responded by raising his hips and rubbing their erections together, making both of them moan loudly.

Without any sort of lubrication, Kardia slid two fingers into Degel's tight entrance. Degel groaned and moved his hips, feeling the digits go deeper and deeper. The Scorpio impatiently added the last finger, quickening the pace. Soon, the fingers reached the Frenchman's prostate, making him scream in pleasure. Kardia continued to lavish Degel with those wild caresses until he stopped suddenly, leaving the Aquarian unsatisfied.

"Are you ready, Degel?" Kardia asked seductively. "I don't think I'll be able to go easy on you this time."

"I don't care! Just do it before I fucking explode! Please, Kardia!" Degel pleaded.

With one long, deep thrust, Kardia went full into Degel, automatically hitting the Frenchman's prostate. Degel howled at the painful and pleasurable move, unconsciously tightening around Kardia's hard shaft. The Greek groaned loudly, almost releasing with that wonderful feeling over his member. Without a second thought, he started moving back and forth slowly, going deeper and stronger into Degel's body. The Aquarian screamed in ecstasy, moving his hips and losing his mind in pleasure as Kardia bit and sucked his nipples and masturbated him at high speed.

"AH, KARDIAAAAA!" Degel screamed, completely mad. "Don't you DARE stop!" And he didn't; he thrusted deeper and harder, driving Degel into a horny frenzy. They both were on the edge, losing all of their senses in the oncoming pleasure.

At the same time, the two lovers screamed as they were driven into an incredibly intense orgasm. They clung to the opposite partner's sweaty body, completely soaked by Degel's thick liquids that exploded over their torsos. Kardia collapsed on Degel, both of them clinging to each other while fighting hard for stolen breath. After a while, Kardia forced himself up and pulled out of the Aquarian's warm cavity; all Degel could do was shiver and gasp. He was completely empty and thoroughly exhausted.

"I could definitely deal with waking up like this every morning," said Kardia, breathing heavily. "You're so gorgeous after you orgasm, Degel. Then again, you always are." The Frenchman blushed, pulling the Greek close to him again. They just laid there for a while, catching their breath and hugging each other protectively, as if they would float away.

"What should we do today, Kardia?" Degel asked after he caught his breath.

"How about we go for lunch?" Kardia proposed. "I know a really good place near the harbor. And then we can go swimming when we're done."

"That sounds nice." Degel thought for a minute, then said, "Wow, have we really been together four months?"

"I guess. I didn't even realize how long it's been. It seems like so much longer, though."

"A third of a year; it seems like such a short time, but it feels like we've been together for years." Degel sighed heavily. "Well, we should probably get ready to go. I'm pretty sure we _both_ need a shower."

"Will you be ready by 2:30?" asked the Scorpio.

"I should be," replied the Frenchman, standing up and covering himself with a blanket. Kardia, who was already half-dressed, noticed his beloved walking a little unsteadily.

"Are you okay, darling? You seem like you're hurt," said the Scorpio, concerned he overdid it.

"I'm okay, Kardia," Degel assured. "It's just a tiny ache, that's all. Nothing to worry yourself about."

"Okay. I'll let you get ready, then, and I'll go to my temple and fix this hot mess," the Scorpio said, gesturing to his body. He wrapped Degel in a warm embrace, rubbing his back affectionately.

"You're a _very_ hot mess of a man," agreed the Frenchman, kissing Kardia on the lips. Then, he licked off all of the excess liquid that covered the Greek's chest and abdomen, making Kardia shiver.

"Gods, if I wasn't empty, I'd be horribly hard right now," Kardia said after Degel finished 'cleaning' him.

"Always so dirty," Degel mused, kissing Kardia again.

"See you later, okay? I love you, Ice Cube," Kardia said, joining their lips one last time before walking towards the door with his shirt and tie hanging over his shoulder.

"I love you, too, darling," Degel said, watching Kardia as he smiled at him and walked out the door. Degel walked to the bathroom and decided to take a long shower, wondering where Kardia was taking him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Just a little more smexyness in the upcoming chapter... just a little ;P

Also: MAJOR PLOT TWIST UP AHEAD :D :D :D I hope you haven't been too disappointed so far :P


	4. Kardia's Extraordinary Confession

"You'd think we'd planned this or something," Kardia laughed. They both were wearing black flip-flops, white tank tops, and blue-and-white swim shorts.

"So where are we going?" Degel asked impatiently as he and Kardia walked down through the temples, hands linked.

"It's a secret," Kardia replied. "I told you that." The Aquarian pouted, making the Scorpio laugh and kiss him on the forehead.

"Hey, guys!" a familiar voice yelled as they approached the Gemini Temple. Defteros stood against a column, watching them as they approached the last few stairs.

"Gods, I haven't seen you in forever, Deffie!" Kardia exclaimed, giving the tall muscular man a hug. "How've you been?"

"Great, actually. I'm still trying to get used to all this attention, though. Now that more people know about me, they all swarm me when I'm around, and it's kind of uncomfortable... Although, I can't complain about all the hot babes." The trio laughed heartily. "So what are you guys up to?"

"Kardia's taking me for lunch," Degel said, then added with an angry look, "but he won't tell me where."

"Come 'ere, Def," Kardia said, leaning in and whispering something into his ear.

"Oh, yeah, I've heard that's a good place," Defteros assured. "I was on my way down there, actually. You guys want a lift?"

"Well, since you're going that way, too, I guess we can," Degel said. "And thank you."

"No prob," replied the Gemini. "Hang on!" He rested one of his hands on both of their shoulders and teleported them to the edge of the beach. Degel's hearing was overloaded as he heard the words "Congrats, Kardia and Degel!" being shouted in his ears. He looked up and beheld an amazing sight.

All of the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Saints were gathered there. In the center, there stood a big tent with a sign that said, "CONGRATS, KARDIA AND DEGEL!" on it. One of the tables had big stacks of beach towels on it; the others had platters of food and beverages.

Degel gasped, his hands covering his mouth in shock. Kardia watched as the sweetest smile spread across his lover's face, happy that Degel liked the surprise.

"Did you plan this, Kardia?" the Aquarian asked, his voice high-pitched and full of happiness.

"With a little help," Kardia admitted, grinning at him as the Aquarian cried happy tears. "Well, except the banner. Do you like it?"

"Like it?! Kardia, I fucking LOVE it!" He took the Greek's face in his hands, cramming his lips against Kardia's as the Saints erupted with cheers and whistles. The Scorpio smiled, returning the kiss just as passionately as his arms circled the Frenchman's waist.

"And I fucking love YOU, you idiot," Degel added after they finished kissing.

"And I fucking love you, too," Kardia said, grinning. "Let's go party." He took Degel's hand and led him over to the group of Gold Saints.

"Looks like somebody had some fun last night," Manigoldo jeered. A few of their comrades laughed heartily. Degel was confused until he remembered where Kardia kissed and bit him the previous night. He felt a large welt on his clavicle and one on his neck, where the tank top didn't cover.

"Shit!" Degel cursed, instinctively covering his neck with his hands. His and Kardia's faces were both bright red to the tips of their ears.

"I never thought I'd see the day when I found out that Aquarius Degel wasn't a virgin," Manigoldo laughed.

"Well, at least I don't screw the wanna-be whores at the inn," Degel countered. "It's all about quality." A loud "Oooooooh!" was heard as the Gold Saints made fun of Manigoldo.

"Hey Goldie, need some ice for that burn?" Aspros taunted. The entire group erupted in joyous laughter, even Asmita and El Cid (I know, right?! Shocking!).

"So you're saying Kardia's got an amazing dick," Defteros clarified.

"I'm saving this conversation for when I get drunk," Degel said.

"So you're saying I _don't_ have an amazing dick?" Kardia questioned, crossing his arms.

"Ooh, this'll be good," Manigoldo said with anticipation.

"C'mon, guys, leave them alone," Asmita pleaded.

"Do you think I'd beg like that if it wasn't?" Degel retaliated against Kardia. "I wouldn't have screamed like a needy whore if you didn't have the dick of a God. Honestly, I wonder what the hell goes through your head sometimes."

"There's your answer, Deffie," Kardia grinned triumphantly, trying in vain to contain his laughter.

"What the hell is so hilarious?" Degel asked, his temper rising.

"You do realize that you just told all of our friends that I have the dick of a God, right?" The look of horror on Degel's face only led to more hysterical laughing. The poor Aquarian just stood there with his mouth agape and his eyes wide.

"Oh shit," Degel murmured, his voice gradually increasing in volume. "Oh shit, what've I done... My life is over... Ooooh shit... Somebody just kill me now..." By now he was slowly pacing, running his hands through his hair nervously.

"Umm... Is he okay?" Sisyphus asked.

"Yeah," Kardia smiled. "He does this kind of thing when he's nervous. I've seen it quite a bit. It's better to just let him do it. I help him if it lasts over ten minutes, but he's usually fine by that time."

"I don't know about that," Aldebaran said. "He looks pretty shaken." The Gold Saints watched Degel walk back and forth, still murmuring to himself, for about ten minutes; he didn't look like he was going to stop any time soon.

"Okay, time to help," Kardia announced. He walked over to the ever-pacing Degel, standing in his way to get him to stop. Then, he hugged the Frenchman around the neck, stroking his hair gently before rubbing his back.

"Shhhh... Calm down, baby," the Scorpio whispered in his ear. "Everything's fine; you're gonna be okay. You're scaring yourself over nothing. Just calm down." The Gold Saints watched in awe. Degel's head snapped up, then he immediately calmed down and wrapped his arms around Kardia's waist.

"Sorry," Degel murmured sheepishly. "I'm just... scarred by my own actions."

"It'll be fine. If they ever mention it again, you could just freeze 'em or something." The Scorpio smiled at his lover, and the Frenchman smiled back. "Let's go have some fun."

OoOoOoOoO

After an hour or two of swimming and beach volleyball, Sisyphus announced that it was time to eat. All of the Saints lined up by the tent and got their food. There were many jokes said, even more laughs, and for once, everyone seemed happy.

As soon as everyone finished eating, Kardia climbed up on a picnic table and called for everyone's attention. The Saints created a large circle as he climbed back down so that everyone could see.

"I have something I'd like to say," Kardia said, beckoning Degel to come over to him. After Degel arrived in the spot he was supposed to stand, Kardia started his speech: "You all know that I've called you here for a very important reason, and I'll get there eventually. I actually have some sort of a speech written out in my head, so at least try to be nice, since this is my first-ever public speaking experience." The Scorpio took a deep breath. "From the first time I met Degel, I knew he was something special. Even though he acted like a cold-hearted asshole from time to time, I began to understand his reasons better once we became closer; I mean, it wasn't like we had a choice, since he's what's kept my heart from killing me, but we still ended up becoming friends. He smiled and laughed more often once we knew a little more about each other - and you can thank me later for that." The crowd of Saints chuckled and murmured a little before quieting again.

"But his friendship wasn't the only thing I admired about him. Not once have I ever seen him falter in his hardships. Whether he was at his breaking point during training or duking it out on the battlefield, he pushed himself beyond all limits to become better and better at everything he did; and he still does this. To this day, I'm still amazed by his perseverance.

"After our resurrection, the first thing he did was look for me. And I have to say I was really, really touched by that. And when he found me, we came back to Sanctuary to start a new life. It was at that time that I realized just how strong our friendship really was, and for once, I had hope for a future with Degel.

"I still remember the day, four months ago, when I found out he not only liked me, but loved me. It was the day we both confessed to being gay, and he said that the person he liked was in Sanctuary. And I'm sitting there thinking, 'Who the hell is he talking about?' So I asked him all these questions. You'd think that a Greek guy in Sanctuary whose name starts with a 'K' would obviously be me. Well, I didn't think he meant me, so I was like, 'I got nothing'. And boy was he mad; like, he punch the wall so hard it cracked. I asked him why he was mad and he yelled, 'Maybe it's the fact that it's you! I fucking love you, you idiot!' The way he blew up was pretty cute." Degel blushed, and everyone laughed.

Kardia continued with a joyful smile. "Anyway, that's when I realized that hey, he fucking loves me! My dream came true! And we've been together ever since.

"Over these past few months, as we strengthened our relationship, I had a new thought. I've loved Degel for a long time, and I still do. He's the ice to my fire, the blue in my sky, and the beat of my heart." He turned toward Degel, who had happy tears falling down his face.

"Degel," Kardia said, taking Degel's hands in his, choking up, "ever since I met you, I've been head over heals for you. Every day I tell myself that I could spend the rest of my days with you, even if those days are shorter than I first thought. It's because of you that I can wake up every morning and tell myself that my life means something, and someone in this world has helped me become the man I am today." It was during this confession that Kardia began crying, too, and not just him; some of the other Saints were moved to tears by his confession.

Kardia resumed, struggling to keep his voice even. "When I fall down, you're always there to pick me up. When I'm sad or lonely, you talk to me and tell me things will turn out okay. When I'm mad, you calm me down. When I'm sick or in pain, you always comfort me and nurse me back to health. When I felt rejected by the world, you loved me when no one else did. I don't think I could ever repay you enough for all the things you've given me. But I hope this will suffice, for now."

The stars in the night sky could never have told Degel what was going to happen next. Kardia pulled a small black box from his shorts pocket and knelt on one knee. He opened the box, showing the beautiful silver-colored engagement band inside. Degel gasped and covered his mouth with his hands in shock.

"Degel," the Scorpio said, smiling as camera flashes came at them from all directions. "Will you marry me?"

A radiant smile spread across the Frenchman's face.

"Holy Athena, yes!" Degel exclaimed joyfully. Kardia took the Aquarian's left hand and slid the ring onto his finger. Everyone cheered and whistled as Degel practically tackled Kardia, pinning him against the sand as he kissed him passionately.

"I love you more than anything in the world, Kardia," Degel said happily, their foreheads pressed together as they sat up, Degel in Kardia's lap.

"I love you, too, Degel," Kardia replied, kissing him one last time before standing. The Frenchman clung to him tightly, and the ecstatic couple embraced for many long minutes, exchanging a few light kisses every now and then.

A sudden burst of music was heard as Manigoldo yelled, "How about some dancing?!" The song was 'Love Somebody' by Maroon 5. Degel moved out onto the makeshift dance floor, about a quarter of the people there following his lead. Soon, Degel was dancing in the middle with Kardia, surrounded by people.

OoOoOoOoO

More and more people joined in as night began falling over the beach. Aldebaran and Manigoldo had already gotten out the alcohol, and booze was spreading through the crowd like wildfire. The music became dirtier, the dancing becoming more sensual and passionate. Even El Cid had loosened the reins and was dancing with Sisyphus and the Gemini twins. Everyone had an overall great time, and as they were getting ready to leave, each gave the two grooms-to-be their congratulations one last time.

"Well, at least there isn't much to pick up, since people were sober enough to throw away their trash," Degel said to Kardia, Aspros, El Cid, and Sisyphus as he began to pick up the little bit of garbage that still remained.

"Hey, don't bother yourself with that, Degel," Sisyphus said. "We'll get it picked up."

"But I don't want to leave you guys here to pick up by yourselves," Degel replied.

"It's okay, Degel, really," Aspros assured him, taking the crushed cup from his hand. "It's your day, after all. Enjoy it while you can."

"Okay... Then, I guess we'll see you around, guys," Degel said. "Thanks for everything."

"Yeah," Kardia added. "Thanks for helping me keep this secret, too."

"No problem," replied Sisyphus. "We'll see you around." After some final goodbyes, Kardia and Degel wrapped an arm around each other's waists and silently headed up to the Scorpio Temple.

"Did you have a good time?" Kardia asked.

"Yeah," Degel replied. "But I'm tired now. And a little sore from dancing."

"Me too. I don't even think there were any slow dances. And that's no fun; I really wanted to slow dance with you."

"It'll be okay, I promise." Degel paused before continuing. "How did you do this? Like, how didn't I find out about this until today?"

"We have great friends," replied Kardia. "Did you like your surprise?"

"I loved it... But not as much as I love you." The Aquarian pulled the Greek into a slow, passionate kiss.

"I love you, too, my angel," the Scorpio replied, kissing him with just as much passion.

They entered the Scorpio Temple. Degel didn't realize that until he was pinned between a wall and Kardia's toned body, ending the kiss so that they could breathe a little. The Greek had one knee in between the Aquarian's legs, rubbing on Degel's hardening desire.

"Mmm, Kardia... Don't stop," Degel moaned lowly.

"Trust me, I won't," Kardia agreed. "We're gonna take it slow tonight, okay? You're still a little hurt from this morning, so I don't want to hurt you even more."

"Okay," Degel replied. Kardia grabbed Degel's chin, linking their lips in a slow and sensual kiss. His tongue slid into the Aquarian's mouth, dancing with his lover's tongue.

Meanwhile, the Scorpio's knee was moving up and down, creating delicious friction on Degel's member. His wandering hands massaged the firm buttocks before sneaking under the thin tank top, where the hard nipples already stuck out through the fabric. Kardia began to play with them, slowly rubbing and pinching, making Degel squirm and moan loudly.

Soon, Degel began to get impatient. He wanted to touch Kardia just as much as he wanted to be touched. He wasn't the kind of person to take things without giving something back in return.

His desires won out this time; he slid his hands over the Greek's torso before lifting the tank top over his head, making sure to touch every inch of the tanned muscles. Then, he changed their positions so that Kardia was between him and the wall, and started sucking on the Scorpio's neck. Kardia, breathing heavily, tilted his head to give Degel more space. The Aquarian's greedy hands ran through the Greek's stomach, stopped by another set of hands before reaching the shorts.

"Degel, _slow down a bit_ ," Kardia chided with a grin. "We have all the time in the world; there's no need to rush, darling." The Frenchman blushed and removed his hands from the Scorpio's abdomen, looking away.

"Sorry," he murmured. Kardia, noticing Degel's sudden abandonment, took him into his arms.

"You shouldn't be sorry, darling," the Scorpio said, petting his hair. "I know how hard it is to restrain yourself. But you might want to let me take control from here." He winked at Degel, who blushed incredibly.

At the nod of the Aquarian's head, Kardia picked him up and carried him to the bedroom. He shut and locked the door before setting Degel in the middle of the bed, then crawled over him and started kissing him along the neck. The Frenchman sighed contentedly, placing his hands on the Scorpio's shoulder blades. Soon, Kardia began licking and sucking slowly on the pale skin. Degel clung to the Greek's shoulders with force. The Scorpio slowly slid his tongue down to the Aquarian's chest and busied himself with the soft, pink nipples, slightly sucking and biting them as Degel squirmed and moaned loudly.

"Calm, Degel," Kardia said, stopping his act to calm his Ice Cube.

"I'm trying, but I can't help it," Degel whined. "It's hard to be calm when you do that; it feels too good." The Scorpio smiled seductively, running his hand along the Frenchman's thigh as he licked the edge of the small navel. Degel moaned, feeling a flame start to burn in his stomach.

"Well, I guess I can move on, then," the Scorpio said lowly, his voice hoarse with desire. He resumed licking the Frenchman's navel for a little while, then planted kisses on the pale skin all the way down to the waistband of the shorts, where Degel had a noticeably large bulge.

"I love it when you're excited for me," Kardia murmured, kissing the barrier that greatly irritated his lover.

"Only for you, _mon cher_ ," Degel assured, playing languidly with the blue waves of his lover's hair. The Greek rubbed his head against the soft hand like a cat would to its owner, making the Aquarian smile.

After a quick kiss on Degel's palm, Kardia pulled down his partner's bothersome swimwear. He threw them to the side somewhere, eyeing the hard piece of flesh that was presented to him. He wasted no time as he attached his lips to the firm extension and slowly danced along it with his mouth and tongue.

Degel was a bundle of raging hormones and horny desire; he was trying really hard to hold on and relax himself, but the hot and wet sensations on his member were too pleasurable for his reason to stay intact. And when the Scorpio engulfed his hard manhood in his wet and hot mouth, Degel screamed, gripping Kardia's long hair harshly, unable to prevent himself from losing part of his sanity in this torturous situation.

Kardia knew that it wasn't going to take long at this rate for Degel to reach an orgasm. He felt the Aquarian's hips move with his up-and-down movements. He looked up into his lover's face and almost choked in surprise.

Narrowed, violet eyes, begging for a release at that exact moment; mouth hung open, which let his partner hear his ragged breaths and howls of pleasure; completely red cheeks, the entire face covered in sweat. Never, in his entire life, had Kardia seen such a beautiful and sexy pre-orgasmic face.

"K-Kar... dia... P-please," Degel begged through breaks in his loud moans. "I... I c-can't... st-stay calm... Can't... hold it... any... m-more..." Kardia pulled off of the pulsating member and covered the tiny, leaking hole with his thumb just as Degel's loins were about to burst in pure, satisfied release. The Aquarian couldn't speak, surprised by his lover's abrupt stop to his blissful relief. He shivered, gasping for air and almost in tears at the throbbing pain in his member.

"It's okay, it's okay," Kardia tried assuring his partner, rubbing the Frenchman's side with his free hand and planting gentle kisses on his forehead. "Shh; take some deep breaths, it's okay."

"Why?" Degel whispered, on the verge of tears. "Why'd you stop?"

"Manigoldo just entered my temple, and I didn't think you'd want him to hear; you know that we wouldn't hear the end of it. I'm sorry for causing you pain, but I have to wait until he's gone." Degel soon recognized the Cancer's cosmos and nodded, sitting up gingerly. He bit his thumb and whimpered, trying not to scream as his member received some accidental friction from Kardia's hand. The Scorpio held his shaft tighter, a few languid drops escaping, and leaned Degel's head on his broad shoulder. He issued gentle kisses on the Aquarian's face, consoling him gently as Manigoldo finally left the Scorpio Temple.

"Okay, he's gone," Kardia confirmed. "It's okay now, Degel." The Aquarian nodded, having a little more control over himself. The Greek piled up some pillows behind the Aquarian so Degel could be propped up, then moved back down and started playing with his lover's member with his mouth and tongue. Degel moaned loudly, throwing his head back and clamping his hand in the Scorpio's hair; his control had been terminated by that talented mouth.

"Degel," Kardia said desperately, knowing that the Frenchman was getting really close again. "Degel, look at me. Please, I want to see your face when you go." The Aquarian understood and put his head back down, looking at the Greek with glossy eyes. His face once again showed the overwhelming pleasure he was feeling as his mouth projected intense screams of pleasure.

"KARDIAAAAA!" Degel screamed, arching his back and throwing his hips forward as a monstrous wave of ecstasy engulfed him. The volcano inside his stomach erupted with so much force that all he could see was pure white. Kardia almost choked on all of the liquid that poured out of his lover's member; he had to continue swallowing to accommodate the flow. He released a few drops of his own semen seeing the pure ecstasy on Degel's face.

After he nearly emptied himself, Degel closed his eyes and fell back on the mountain of pillows, whimpering and gulping air. He couldn't even speak; he had barely any air in his lungs. The hands that had entangled themselves in Kardia's hair relaxed, resting on his lower abdomen. The Scorpio leaned over his smaller figure, covering the open mouth of his lover with his own, letting the sweet liquid flow between them as they kissed deeply. It didn't last long, though; Degel had a momentarily limited air supply.

"You are so incredibly beautiful, my angel," Kardia murmured, taking his hand down to his shorts and lowering them. "Look at what you do to me." Degel looked down, seeing that the Scorpio's erection was already dripping precum.

"Whenever I'm around you," the Greek began again, "I feel this incredible attraction to you. And when we lay together, like we're doing now, this attraction turns into an unstoppable desire of wanting to show you just how deeply I love and need you; it's my way of telling you that I was, am, and will always be here with you, no matter what happens. When I asked you to marry me today, I felt in my gut that my love for you always has been, and will continue to be, an everlasting love. No matter where I am, I will be yours, and you will be mine, into infinity; I have been and will always be with you in body and soul."

"Oh, Kardia," Degel marveled. "I love you. I love you so much." He was in tears. His tears were of joy, the immense joy of being loved. Never in his life had he loved someone as much as he loved Kardia.

"I love you, too, Degel," Kardia said affectionately, rubbing the Aquarian's stomach gently. It wasn't meant to be sexual; just a loving caress, like someone would give a cat or dog. No matter what anyone thought, Degel loved that feeling; it was close to, if not more than, as satisfying as getting his back rubbed, and not just because it was Kardia who did it.

"What do you think, my little kitty-cat?" Kardia asked, noticing the Aquarian's satisfaction. "Should we continue, or do you still need time to recover?"

"I'm ready," Degel replied. " _Meow_." The Scorpio chuckled, burying his nose in the Frenchman's neck to plant a quick kiss there. "Hey, are we going to use that lubrication again?"

"I have other kinds, if you want to try something different," Kardia said suggestively. At his lover's nod, he opened a drawer in the bedside table. In it were a few different bottles and rectangular packages. "I know it seems weird that I have all this lube in this drawer, but truthfully, I bought all of it last week. Just so that I had it incase we did start to do this early."

"What do you got in there?"

"A couple of Trojan brand lubes; Continuous Silkiness, Tingly Warmth, Arouses & Intensifies, and my personal favorite, Arouses & Releases. Then there's the Fire & Ice and a bunch of edible lubricants."

"Edible lubricants?" Degel asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. Kinda weird, but it sounded enticing," Kardia replied. "I have a bunch of different flavors; strawberry, green apple, vanilla, passion fruit, mocha, raspberry... and that's it. So, do you wanna try a different one, or stick with the Fire & Ice?"

"The edible strawberry one sounds interesting." Degel was very quiet.

"You're so cute when you're embarrassed, darling. Let's try that one, then." The Greek grabbed the smaller bottle of strawberry lubricant, squirting a bit onto his hand. He wanted to play with this edible substance for a while.

After dipping a finger in the gel, Kardia spread the substance onto Degel's nipples. He began licking and sucking on the flesh buttons, finding that the lubricant worked almost like a gelatinous casing around the pink nubs. It didn't taste too bad to him, either.

The Aquarian was lost in pleasure. The gel made everything feel so soft and warm around his nipples; even when the Scorpio bit him slightly, his teeth glided right over the hard flesh. To Degel, it was even more pleasurable than just a mouth attacking his chest.

Kardia was finally done playing around when his erection throbbed powerfully. He rolled two fingers around in the small puddle of lubricant before inserting the first, making Degel moan. As that first finger began moving unhurriedly, the Frenchman's manhood began hardening until it was standing upright once again.

Soon enough, the second finger slipped into the tight cavity and joined the rhythm of the first. Degel moaned loudly, finding himself overtaken by lust. With his other hand, Kardia grabbed the Frenchman's member, pumping it in time with his fingers. A scream erupted from Degel's mouth, the lube feeling so smooth and warm.

The third and final finger pushed into Degel, the growing desire in his stomach burning anew. A sudden movement inside sent the digits into the Aquarian's prostate, making him scream; it took all his willpower not to beg for more.

Kardia suddenly removed his fingers from the tight cavity, kissing his lover on his pleading lips. The Scorpio grabbed a pillow, placing it under Degel's hips before settling in between the Frenchman's legs. Degel wrapped his legs around the Greek's waist, as he had done before, and enveloped Kardia's broad back with his arms. After a reassuring kiss on Degel's lips, Kardia slowly pushed into the humid chamber.

Neither of the two Saints could hold their groans of pleasure. The Aquarian was crazy, finally being able to feel his lover inside of him, while Kardia felt immense pleasure as his member slid into the slick cavity.

When his member filled Degel completely, the Scorpio stopped and kissed his lover's face. The Aquarian looked at him with pleading eyes, but didn't say anything because he knew that Kardia would start soon, and they'd be on the road of pleasure once again.

His thoughts were answered. After a final kiss on the bridge of The Frenchman's nose, Kardia began moving, his hips swaying slowly as he slid in and out of his lover.

Degel couldn't contain his low moans. It was so good to feel Kardia inside of him, even if the pace wasn't exactly to his liking. All that mattered to him was being with the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

He loved being with the Scorpio, in every way. The Greek was like a candle in the distance, guiding him out of the cold tunnel he lived in so that he could open himself to a world of color and warmth. Kardia made him feel needed and loved, and that was one of the aspects of the Scorpio that he loved most.

These times when they made love were one of Degel's favorite moments with Kardia. He felt closer to him than ever, and when the Greek whispered lovingly in his ear, he knew that Kardia would never replace him with anyone else. That's why, when the Scorpio began moving slightly faster inside him, he didn't have any doubts anymore. Kardia was only his, and he was only Kardia's.

"KARDIAAAAA!" Degel screamed suddenly, his fingernails digging into his lover's back. The Scorpio had taken a deep thrust, reaching the Frenchman's prostate.

Hearing Degel's loud and profuse moans, Kardia took that as a sign to go faster. He slid one hand down to the Aquarian's hot desire, masturbating it in time with his thrusts to accommodate for the slow pace. It worked for a little while; Degel arched his back and groaned thunderously. After a while, though, the Aquarian pulled him closer and whispered, "I need more. Go faster. Don't hold back."

The Scorpio had no trouble in doing what Degel said. He abandoned the thought of holding back, releasing the monster inside of him; his thrusts were harder and faster than ever before. He could feel himself getting slightly closer to the end with every lunge, and realized that the Frenchman was pushing his hips against his with the movements of his member inside him. The Scorpio knew he was a ways away and Degel was close, but he still wanted to play a little longer. He slowed the rhythm of his hand and leaned over the Aquarian, bringing his head down to the Frenchman's chest. Kardia started to lick and suck on the flesh pearls, hearing Degel scream in ecstasy. In turn, the Scorpio thrusted faster and harder, leaving the pink nipples to kiss the Frenchman deeply.

Suddenly, Degel moved one hand to Kardia's chest and started playing with his nipples, just as he had done to him. The Scorpio pulled out of the kiss to gasp loudly, his eyes wide in surprise. After some slight whimpering, Kardia groaned loudly. His back arched strongly as he threw his head back, moaning profusely, feeling a tingling sensation of pleasure running up and down his spine.

Degel could tell that Kardia was getting closer and closer to an intense orgasm. The Scorpio's thrusts inside of him were more and more frantic by the minute, making Degel go crazy. The Aquarian could feel the volcano in himself, too. This time, however, it was stronger than any other. The force was becoming too great; he dug his nails into the Scorpio's back, on the edge.

And suddenly, all he could do was look into his lover's eyes and scream in pure ecstasy, arching against Kardia as his semen poured out of his pulsating member. At the same time, the muscles enveloping Kardia's hard manhood squeezed on it tightly, leading the Greek to an extremely strong ejaculation. He screamed Degel's name, gripping the Frenchman's hips with force.

Neither of the two lovers could speak for a long while after their enjoyment. Kardia had fallen over Degel heavily, his forehead against the Frenchman's as they both struggled for breath. Short and hushed whimpers escaped the Aquarian as the Greek took his lips in a short-but-sweet kiss.

"I love you, Degel," Kardia whispered against the Frenchman's lips.

"I love you, too, Kardia," Degel murmured, his voice shaky with loss of breath.

After a long while of laying together, Kardia lifted off of the Aquarian and pulled out of his entry slowly. Degel panted and gasped loudly as he released over their torsos once again, his back bowed slightly. He wheezed dryly, trying to force air into his lungs as his lover laid beside him.

"It was so good, _agapi mou_ ," Kardia whispered near the Frenchman's ear as he wrapped a muscular arm around his stomach. "We should probably shower, though, so that we aren't all sticky." Degel mumbled something incomprehensible in agreement, so Kardia picked him up gently and carried him to the bathroom the way a parent might carry a tired child, stumbling slightly from the pleasure still present in his loins. The Scorpio stepped into the walk-in shower, sticking Degel's hand into the water to adjust it to his liking before going beneath it. He expected something more on the cool side, but the water was nice and hot.

For a while, all they did was stand there, the water falling over them, Degel's arms wrapped around Kardia's neck and his head leaning on a broad shoulder as the Scorpio held him in his arms. Soon, though, Kardia grabbed a wash rag, rubbed soap into it, and held the Frenchman against the wall to clean him. He took the rag and rubbed it along the Aquarian's torso and lower extremities, cleaning off the sticky liquid.

It wasn't until Kardia had set him down that Degel felt pain. His nether regions burned painfully from the little bit of pressure upon standing. He grit his teeth, making a hissing noise from the unpleasant feeling. Noticing Degel's discomfort, Kardia picked him up again.

"I'm sorry, darling," the Scorpio said sadly. "I overdid it." He had the look of a sad puppy on his face.

"It's okay, Kardia," Degel assured. "It's more my fault than yours, anyway; I asked for more than I thought I could handle."

"I still feel bad about it," Kardia responded.

"Don't be," Degel replied, putting a hand on the side of the Greek's face, gently brushing his wet cheek with his thumb. Kardia pulled the Frenchman closer and kissed him on the nose lightly. Feeling the soft hand make its way up into his hair, the Scorpio sighed contentedly and rubbed his head against the long fingers like a cat.

"That feels nice," Kardia murmured, closing his eyes as the Aquarian began to scratch behind his ear lightly. Degel chuckled at his partner's reaction, adding a little bit more pressure. He heard a slight, "Mmm" sound and contented sighs from the Scorpio as he continued his act for a little while longer.

"Okay, now you need to wash up," Degel announced, removing his hand from the blue waves of hair. Hearing Kardia's unsatisfied whining, he said, "I'll continue after we're done." That made the Scorpio perk up a little. The Frenchman took the wash rag from Kardia and started washing him, gliding the cloth over his torso languidly, planting light kisses on his face every so often. Once he finished, Degel hung the rag on a rung and rinsed his sudsy hands before sliding one into Kardia's soaked curls and rubbing that special spot behind his ear. The Scorpio responded eagerly, tilting his head slightly.

"Bedtime?" the Aquarian questioned after a while.

"I guess," replied the Greek reluctantly, knowing that the pleasurable touch of the Frenchman's hand in his hair would end. Seeing the Scorpio's face in a pout, Degel kissed him on the lips and turned off the water. Kardia grabbed a fluffy brown towel from the cabinet and draped it over Degel's shoulders, grabbing a brush on the way out of the bathroom.

As the Scorpio had finished brushing his and Degel's hair, he realized that he had caused more damage than he originally thought. There were bruises on Degel's hips from his harsh grip. Several hickeys covered the Frenchman's neck and clavicle. A few light bite marks were prominent on the pale chest and shoulders. He already knew about the pain in the Frenchman's lower regions. All of these added up made Kardia sad; he never wanted to do anything like that. In repentance for causing Degel pain, the Scorpio cradled him in his arms, stroking his hair and planting light kisses on his face.

"What are you doing, Kardia?" Degel asked, confused by the Scorpio's sudden behavior but liked it nevertheless.

"Repenting," Kardia replied seriously.

"What for?" the Frenchman questioned, surprised.

"For hurting you so much," the Scorpio said, letting Degel intertwine their fingers.

"What are you talking about, you silly arachnid? You didn't hurt me."

"There's a lot of marks on you, though... And you can't walk because it hurts you." The Aquarian sighed and looked at Kardia, who was keeping his head down. He turned slightly, capturing the Scorpio's lips with his own in a warm embrace.

"The pleasure of being with you will always override any of my pain, _mon amour_ ," Degel consoled sweetly. "I love you more than I can handle."

"I love you too, my angel," Kardia said with a smile, nuzzling under the Frenchman's chin before resting his head in the crook of his lover's neck. "You mean the world to me." Degel gaped, then smiled and hugged him around the neck. These six words made him feel like the luckiest man alive.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Kardia asked suddenly. Until now, the Aquarian failed to realize that he was crying.

"Nothing's wrong, Kardia," Degel assured with a grin. "I'm happy."

"About what?" the Scorpio questioned, glad that his lover wasn't hurting in any way.

"I'm happy that I'm with you. I'm happy that we're getting married. I'm happy that you care about me. But most of all, I'm happy that you love me; because I love you, you cocky bastard."

The Scorpio smiled sweetly, as if he was living a dream. Then, he shook with laughter. "I love you, too, you God-damn brainiac." There was a ferocious kiss between the two lovers. Both demonstrated the need for each other's love, the need to taste each other, the need for the touch of each other. All of their feelings being pooled into one last kiss.

The intensity was so great that it took both of the lovers a while to recuperate. Kardia laid down on his back, wrapping his arms around his partner as Degel rested his head on the Scorpio's chest. Feeling Kardia's arms around him, Degel fell asleep knowing that the Greek loved him more than he ever could've asked for. And he could tell anyone how great that feeling is.

 **END :)**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thank you for reading! I really hoped you enjoyed it as much as Kardia and Degel did!

Degel: Yes, because I _totally_ enjoy exposing my whole sex life to everyone on the Internet.

Kardia: Oh, c'mon Degel, it wasn't that bad.

Degel: Easy for you to say; the word 'modest' isn't exactly in your vocabulary.

Kardia: Oh, admit it; you love my shamelessness :3

Degel: As if I'd admit that where the whole world can see my confession! Honestly, I wonder what goes through your head sometimes. (a minute's pause...and...) Oh shit, what've I done? My life is over... Sharing shameless thoughts over the Internet... it's a disgrace to the Aquarius Saint's name... Someone just kill me now...

KDS: Umm... aren't you going to help him?

Kardia: Just give him time. He'll be fine.

KDS: Okay... So, anybody up for a sequel? I'm sure Degel wouldn't mind sharing more of his shameless deeds with Kardia ;D

*hint hint: sequel in progress*


End file.
